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

[2/2]

[loopsiedaisy]

[...]

[They look away again, but this time it's for a different reason.] I guess... it must just be a cat thing...?

[Or they picked it up from him, without realizing. Unlike some of the other things Firepaw taught them on purpose.]

[. . .]

The Canopy feels like... ["like it's missing something," they almost want to say, but that's really obvious, isn't it, Siffrin? Stupid. They settle on,] ...it's weirder not to have him running around than it would be if - if even Ribombee disappeared, all of a sudden.

[They actually have a more positive opinion of their guild leader than most, but at the same time, it's not like they've talked to Ribombee a lot!]

[friendlyflower]

Heh... heh heh. You're telling me. When's the last time I spoke to our benevolent guildmaster? It must've been the festival.

[...]

... It's quiet back there. [He hates the quiet. His mind wanders. Memories come crawling back.] You didn't want to be there either. [An observation, plainly stated-- but also, an admission.]

... you know. Ha ha.

When I first got here, this place sure didn't make a good first impression! I was lost underground with Diglett and Dugtrio hunting me down and that stupid fog everywhere! I almost died! [Which maybe Siffrin would've preferred. He moves on, not giving them the satisfaction of a snarky comment.]

And then that idiot showed up. Defended me. Guided me. He was the first one to...

[Come when he called for help.]

...

That's what I was trying to say, you stupid moron. It should've been me. I know better than to think that bad things shouldn't happen to good people. Bad things happen to good people all the time! I've seen it! I've caused it!

... So, why...?

[He doesn't expect an answer. When his mind catches up with his mouth, he'll be embarrassed for having been vulnerable around Siffrin, of all people. It doesn't escape him that, in his attempt to process his feelings (or seeming lack thereof), he was just tormenting them a minute ago. In his mind, it only proves his point.]

[loopsiedaisy]

[Siffrin's not sure they have an answer to give! Most of it is definitely that, infuriating as he is, Flowey isn't an adult... but they're pretty confident Flowey will just explode at them again if they say anything about that!]

[There's a lot they're failing or refusing to process about Flowey themself, because of what it would require thinking about. But they can't really treat him like they would Bo - other kids. Maybe Lusamine or Emporio could keep Flowey talking from here, or Firepaw could have... but Siffrin doubts they can.]

[They're not exactly good at being vulnerable either, anyway.]

[...so, maybe it's fine to go with their second impulse? Even if it's not entirely true anymore.] If I have to stay healthy, so do you~

[...]

The Universe has a sick sense of humor, doesn't it...? Really likes tragedies. [Something something a kid definitely shouldn't be feeling that way, but another time looper? Yeah. It should've been them instead of Firepaw too. (Neither of them should still exist, really, but Siffrin so much more so - they don't have the excuse of being a child.)]

[...oh well.]

[They stand up and shake themself off, straps of the harness jingling, then tug the cart the rest of the way toward the impatiently waiting Mudsdale. She has a much larger wagon, set up where the path through the trees is wider and she can carry a much heavier load - time to transfer!]

wrapped?

[friendlyflower]

[... He'll be damned if he dies before Siffrin. He might not have love, but he has spite.

That's an interesting turn of phrase, though-- 'the universe'. He files that away for later.]

It could be a comedy if your sense of humor didn't go out back and stab itself to death. [And the little asshole's back! Thank goodness!

With Mudsdale watching, he actually makes a token effort to help transfer the materials. He doesn't say that Siffrin did most of the work, of course.]