August Catch-all

[friendlyflower]

Who: Flowey & Perrin, Bigby, Akechi, Siffrin, Siffrin (again), Chara
What: Quests!! The boy's got his non-existent hands full again! (Exploration: Yellow, Carts Before Charts, Flower Showers, Play Nice) 
Where: New territory beyond the middle forest; places in and around the new Outpost
When: Throughout August
Warnings: Pokemon battling (violence/injury), severe weather, Flowey's trauma (mentions of/themes of depression, depersonalization, guilt, child death, murder)

Comments

EXPLORATION: YELLOW

[friendlyflower]

[The plan had seemed foolproof. But this world has shown it won't bend so easily to Flowey's will.

Bigby's expertise in the Middle Forest proves useless as they find themselves in a flood basin-- and then it's as if the sky cracks open, a torrential downpour making it difficult to see beyond their immediate surroundings or even talk to one another without shouting. Only flashes of lightning illuminate the world around them. Flowey shouts over the howling wind.]

Hey, Six! You're going to have to fly us or we're going to drown!

['We' referring to those shorter in stature; namely, himself and Bigby. Courier Six would probably be fine. He half-expects the Dragonite to just fly away and abandon them to their fate, kill or be killed.

But while it would be convenient for Courier Six to fly them back over the lake that's forming... that would be giving up. And on a more practical note, the screeching winds might make flying just as difficult. And if Six accidentally drops them-- a terrible memory of battling Dondozo, losing himself to the mercy of the icy waves, flashes through his mind.]

C-come on! [Desperation enters his voice.]

[shotinhead]

[ Rain, where Courier Six came from, was not a good sign. It was terrifying. Usually acidic.

Yet, this rain might have been refreshing at first - until the storm built, and the sky screamed open. His voice was booming, louder then the man tended to talk. ]

Get in...!

[ He'd brought his pouch, of course. The one that had been made for him, usually big enough for packages in town, deliveries made to try and feel normal. It might be a bit of a squeeze for the others to fit in. But he seems concerned, as his wings twitch.

What the two didn't know was that in situations like this, Courier Six - Perrin - felt the most alive. He looked forth towards the ruins, a bit of a look in his good eye. His voice was still loud, carrying like he was on a battlefield. ]

Might need a bit of navigation help.

[wolfcut]

[ A walk in the park turned complete shit show. What else should he have expected.

Entering the basin may have been unexpected, but the storm — he could have known better. He should have known better. Between the lingering static and shift in air pressure, the signs were about as subtle as a punch to the gut, and yet here they are, ready to get swept away by quickly rising waters. Chalk it up to dulled senses and being more than few years out of practice, sure, but his internal frustration is hardly the priority when he's not the only one caught out here.

He shields his face from the heavy rain as it beats down, eyes locked on Courier Six even as Flowey shouts beside him. For a moment, his brows furrow, uncertainty rising until the Dragonite finally swoops in close enough to them both. The winds hardly make that look easy, despite his apparent collected demeanor.

While roughly the same size, he helps hoist the Sunkern up into Perrin's pouch first, knowing the most at risk here is clearly the one lacking an obvious way to swim. Seed secured, he follows in right after with little pride. The sooner they can get moving, the better. ]

Keep low for now, Six! The lightning— [ And as if on cue, there's another quick flash, followed by a roar of thunder. He lowers himself a bit deeper into the pouch, eyes still peering out ahead. His fur seems to be bristling with electricity as he glances at Flowey now. ] Stay focused on our right. I have the left. Anything unavoidable... we'll clear it. [ Are their moves even strong enough to clear rocks and debris? Only one way to find out. ]

[friendlyflower]

Got it!

[Flowey, admittedly, isn't sure what he can do-- but he won't let himself be useless. Time seems to slow as he takes in every detail around them with a practiced clarity.

And then he spots a piece of driftwood hurtling at them like a javelin in the gale. Flowey shouts to alert Six and, as if on instinct, fires a menagerie of seeds at it. The wind carries nearly all of them away- probably doing more harm than good- but a few of them might be able to divert the projectile from its path. (Or maybe his warning helped Six avoid it-- or maybe Six takes the hit. Flowey can tell little from the bag without risking falling out.)

Flowey curses himself. If only he were stronger. Leech Seed is meant for casting a wide net and draining the life out of foes, not shooting like bullets.

To the east, the sky reaches down; a tornado meets the water, forming a waterspout. To the west, lightning blinds him, and he just catches a glimpse of a tall tree going down in flames. A flock of disturbed Spearow and Fearow rise into the storm, aiming to direct their rage at the nearest targets in sight-- them.]

[shotinhead]

[ You might expect Courier Six to swear. And he is - but internally. Courier Six growls, his body being hit by some of the debris of the driftwood. Some of it had been knocked off, but at least the main bit had broken away.

Still, the Dragonite moves on. He can barely see in this storm, his wings sometimes skimming the wising water. Yet, it almost seemed controlled.

For if he was close to the edge, keeping himself close to the seas yet not in them, wouldn't it be safest? And in the distance, he can see something.

He doesn't know they're the ruins they're looking for. In fact, his mind has gone into full survival mode. ]

[wolfcut]

[ Bigby's gaze follows the strike of lightning as it hits a tree to the west, but Flowey's warning quickly diverts his attention. His cheeks begin to spark, driftwood fast approaching, only for the Sunkern to beat him to it. He holds, unsure at first of what to make of the barrage of seeds, but it appears enough to keep Courier Six from taking the full brunt of it. No reason to expend unneeded energy. Instead, with ears pinned back, Bigby looks up at their pilot first before peering ahead once more. Staying the course is about all they can do, but how much more could the Dragonite take?

There's no time to speak on it though, not when another situation begins to rear its many heads. His ears flick back up, the cries from afar suddenly growing closer. As if the storm isn't enough to deal with — now they have a whole flock to fight through. ]

Six, company! [ Yelling against the howling wind is a feat all on its own. He shifts to speaking to Flowey as he shuffles through his pockets. ] Make that move of yours hurt this time, got it? Deep breath. Sharp exhale.

[ Bigby knows using Grass moves against Flying-types is an exercise in futility, but wearing them out across a distance at least has some advantage. If nothing else, they'll make coming in close frustrating. With his own ammo, he fires two Seed Bombs toward the flock, hoping to steer a few Pokémon off course. ]

[friendlyflower]

[Deep breath. Sharp exhale. His addition of Bullet Seeds to the onslaught manages to hit a few Spearow and knock them out of the group, feathers flying in the wind, but the flock as a whole remains undeterred. They come down on Courier Six and the bag especially, eager to stop those damned seeds. Flowey finds himself being slashed and torn at by sharp talons, but it feels like a mercy compared to what happens next:

A hole tears in the bag. The gale pulls Flowey through. He plummets like a rock toward the churning waters below.

He's so stunned that he doesn't even manage to scream.]

Carts Before Charts

[friendlyflower]

[He might as well rip the bandage off eventually. Siffrin and Flowey can't avoid each other forever; they share a stupid guild, after all. To everyone's surprise, he volunteers for the Carts Before Charts quest when he hears Siffrin is already on board. If he's going to face them again, it might as well be while earning points and showing Ribombee how much of a good sport he is. ("See? I patched things up with Firepaw and Siffrin! Aren't I a peach?")]

Hey, buddy, you missed one. [From his throne atop the cart, Flowey uses a leaf to point at some salvageable wood that Siffrin missed. He never said he was going to be a complete sweetheart or anything.] Go on, fetch! I'll keep supervising the stuff we already gathered!

[loopsiedaisy]

[The past little while in the Canopy has been... gloomy, with Firepaw gone. Everywhere around the Canopy, really, but particularly in the corner of it where most of the non-native Pokemon have ended up. Siffrin hasn't really wanted to spend time there! Stumbling around the woods gathering things and then dragging them even further away from the Canopy and getting too tired to think sounds kind of perfect, actually!]

[But while they knew they'd end up with someone else - the forest still isn't safe alone - they weren't necessarily expecting Flowey.]

[They are currently reminding themself that a. Flowey is a child (probably?? They're pretty sure, at this point??) and b. Flowey is also upset about Firepaw. They are having to remind themself of it a lot.]

Supervising. [Right.] ...you don't think a wild Pokemon will be more interested in a seed by himself than a bunch of logs?

[Despite what they say, they're resignedly unfastening themself from the cart anyway...]

[friendlyflower]

Don't you know me by now? If something happens, then I'll just... Make them wish they were never born! Hee hee.

[...Usually, he would put on a scary face and a dramatic voice. He's half-assing it. He didn't even have bold, shaking text in his dialogue box.]

... Hey.

[He seems oddly serious.]

I was messing with you. Don't work too hard, idiot. It's not like Ribombee is going to give you a raise. You'll just end up getting... hurt.

[loopsiedaisy]

[Don't say anything about definitely being good at making Siffrin wish they were never born, don't say -]

[Hang on.]

[Siffrin turns their head to look at Flowey, trying belatedly not to look too startled. Something about his expression settles their hackles down. Now they feel kind of embarrassed about letting him wind them up...]

[...they're not sure how to respond to that, actually? So they fall back on the usual:] Don't worry about me! I'm too good at taking naps to overwork myself.

[They haven't been good at taking naps in       a long time. They don't like dreaming. It almost makes them miss the Tears, haha!!]

[But! They really are fine! If they couldn't handle the time loops, they can at least handle some totally normal hard work. And if Firepaw ended up in the clinic like that, and they haven't, then they're clearly still slacking plenty.]

And anyway, you're doing a lot too, aren't you?

[They've seen Flowey's name on quite a few sheets on the questboard this month already, even if he snuck in after Siffrin on this one.]

[friendlyflower]

What do you care? [Of course, by voicing that, now it's easy for them to turn back on himself.]

Ha... It doesn't matter what happens to me. [This statement is presented neutrally-- as fact.] People would miss you. Some stupid people, I'm sure. But that's better than nothing.

pushes the "make em talk about Firepaw" button

[loopsiedaisy]

[People would miss them...? Siffrin's first instinct is to think that obviously that's wrong, but -]

[Weirdly, maybe, a couple people would...?]

[...Flowey's right, though. They really shouldn't miss Siffrin. He would know; they're pretty sure he saw their wish, how Siffrin just can't~ manage~ to hold on to people~ even if they tell themself they care. Aaaand they don't want to think about this!]

...but. Firepaw would be upset, if he woke up and something had happened to you. [It's not that they weren't vaguely aware of Flowey and Firepaw's Big Fight, even if they were stuck in the clinic when it happened - kind of hard to miss the tension around the Canopy afterward! But they'd gotten the impression the two of them were patching it up?] And Lusamine, and Emporio...?

[And plenty of other people! They know they've seen Flowey palling around with other folks, even if their terrible memory means they aren't getting more names coming to mind. So if it's better than nothing, shouldn't it also matter for him? (...honestly, they'd kind of been assuming that Flowey was having a way easier time than them making friends, fights and tantrums aside.)]

Flower Showers

[friendlyflower]

[Something clicks in Flowey's mind when the other Siffrin says they have no problem being the bait. "Really?" he had said. "Uh, I mean. Great!"

Right before they execute the sure-to-be flawless plan, Flowey gathers them and Akechi for a final review.]

Siffrin, remember-- [This seems to be a sticking point for Siffrin.] -- lead them toward the pit. Don't fall in. Akechi, you're our eye in the sky. Wormadam is your primary focus, but trust your gut. I'll stay back in disguise and provide backup. Any questions?

[followthescript]

[They really should not be this eager to be used as bait, but they're finally starting to feel like they're back in their element. They're the trap expert! Well, usually that means checking for traps, not leading other people into them, but...]

I got it! [Lead them to the pit, don't fall in. They can do that much on their own.]

Don't worry, I'll make sure we get the drop on them.

[truthdecided]

[Akechi's feathers fluff up at the pun, and his eyes narrow. God. That was so ridiculously on the nose.]

Naturally, I'll prioritize those with the type disadvantage, although...

[Siffrin. A second Siffrin.]

Do you have any particular relation to the other Siffrin present?

[This is news to him. After all, he's been busy.]

[friendlyflower]

Nope, no relation. Crazy coincidence, huh? [This is... pretty obviously a lie, but maybe he'll win points in Siffrin's book for covering for them. He'll explain later when there's a chance. ]

[followthescript]

[Instantly they are sweating, but instead of having to come up with a convincing explanation on the spot... did they ever tell that to Flowey? Their bad memory could be to blame, but...]

Right! [worry about it later—for now, just try to make a smooth recovery] Actually, you can just call me Stardust! That way it's less confusing?

[... okay, maybe that could've been more smooth. But how else are they supposed to backtrack the name they already gave people?? Stars, please just believe that they're awkward and not suspicious.]

[truthdecided]

[Akechi isn't stupid. The reactions already paint a vivid picture. The other Siffrin's reaction clinches it in Akechi's mind, and he hums, squints, and taps below his beak with his left wing.]

Stardust will do.

[He'll let it slide for now. They have enough to worry about with the mission, so he'll flutter into the air to get things started.]

At any rate, I should be able to draw their attention if need be. Of course, it's more likely that the worms will flee if given the chance...

[So, with that, he'll take to the trees, letting the others get the ball rolling.]

Play Nice

[friendlyflower]

[With little guidance to go on, the former best friends have carte blanche to travel out in search of Pokemon who have 'come to their senses'. Redemption, so loosely defined. How poetic. Maybe they'll all join hands and sing kumbaya afterward.

(Oh, wait.)

The irony of Dondozo and Tatsugiri appearing and offering to ferry them isn't lost on him, either. These Pokemon nearly killed Flowey just the other month, but hey, what's a little murder among friends?

The sky is a clear, endless blue, only a few of the sun's rays peeking from behind the clouds. The fog has receded; the sky disorients him nearly just as much. Even though he knows nostalgia is pointless- neither of them are the same person, deaths and transformations aside- he can't help but remember old times. The weight of their body in his arms. The feeling of their souls in sync.]

... Golly. The Underground didn't have views like this. [He nods, especially, toward the ocean. Vast, expansive depths; waves gentle one moment and violent the next, seemingly without pattern to anything but itself. He wonders if Chara likes the ocean. He wants to ask if they've ever seen it before, but that, again, would play into fragile nostalgia. They never did like to talk about their life before falling underground, anyway.

So, instead, a simple observation. Now he's testing them, he supposes.]

[consequerer]

[ They are — tangentially, academically — aware of the Bay's history with Dondozo. Presumably similar goes for Tatsugiri by proxy. Anything quite so personal as nearly killing any present entities remains heretofore unknown to them, however. Outside of any particular tells Flowey might or might not have, anyway.

In any case. Is Flowey attempting to make small talk? Well then. They'll hum, a bit, and engage. ]

It certainly did not. Some of the sights in Waterfall might perhaps make for potential contenders, but in the end...

[ Sun, even what little of it there is, playing across the surface of the water. Warm, golden light scattered across the endless waves. In contrast ... Waterfall is a closed, confined space, echo flowers endlessly whispering the same secrets back and forth to each other under the false stars of the crystals above. Everything within it passed down from something, somewhere else; nothing new, nothing novel.

No, Waterfall isn't remotely the same. ]

There is something different about being under the open sky, isn't it? Knowing that even when it gets dark, there isn't a cavern ceiling above us.

[friendlyflower]

[Sometimes, Flowey finds himself taking in the outside world- the sky, the trees, the breeze- and reminding himself Chara grew up with all this.

Not this exactly, the alien world they find themselves in, but close enough. Compared to the relatively short time they spent underground with them, this was their experience.]

How's it feel? I'm still getting used to it.

... I keep having this moment of realization. There's no ceiling above. I could go in one direction forever and not hit an ending point. Weird, huh?

[consequerer]

Well. In theory you'd eventually loop around as long as you're not going up ... but that would be quite a while of going in one direction indeed.

[ They say the world is round... Simple facts like that, irrelevant to them for as long as they were Underground. Strange to think of. Strange to realize. Stranger, then, for the monster they are with, isn't it? ]

But yes. I understand what you mean.

I suppose it is odd, though. I did not think I would miss it. And I do not. Not really. But all the same ... this, now. The ending the Underground reached. It is not unpleasant.

[ They still do not care for where they came from. Their opinion of the village in particular will likely never change. But that is something that consists of more than just the open sky above and the trees and breeze surrounding. The ocean on the horizon. ]

[friendlyflower]

[Loop around... like reaching the end of a video game screen. But instead of hitting an invisible wall, it brings them back to the start. ... Kind of like him and Chara.]

Heh. Yeah. We did it in the end. [Nevermind the fact that he was directly opposing that goal for most of it, and he doesn't know the length of Chara's involvement.

... He's glad Frisk isn't here. They should be living their life, with their friends.]

No funny business, alright? [He looks pointedly at Dondozo and Tatsugiri. The latter mumbles that they're not worth the energy.

It takes some effort for Flowey to jump on Dondozo's head, even though they lowered it as low as they can.]

[consequerer]

[ 'We.' Right ... As if it had been all some long-term plan of theirs, despite Flowey's active antagonism, and Chara's relative lack of direct action. Not pacifism but passivism, perhaps. The one truly responsible for much of it . . .

They will not correct him. There would be little point in it.

The interaction with Tatsugiri nets a faint tilt of their head in lieu of a raised eyebrow. Is there a more personal history here, then? Their own ascent onto Dondozo's head is much easier than Flowey's, though for his sake they wait until he is properly situated atop the fish before they follow. ]

What funny business would you be expecting, anyway? Have they a known history of taking monsters out to sea and then drowning them?