September Catch-All

[friendlyflower]

Who: Flowey & Emporio, Anasui, Akechi, Firoza, and maybe YOU!
What: Quests, discussing Theories, hearing stories, and rumors of a certain boy's birthday (aka-- I decided Flowey's birthday is on the Undertale anniversary, September 15th)
Where: Furnace Mountain, in & around Death Blood Murder Skull Town
When: Throughout September
Warnings: Potential Pokemon battling (violence/injury), Flowey's trauma (mentions of/themes of depression, depersonalization, guilt, child death, murder)

Comments

ii

[telewarped]

[In Shoka's case, it might actually be for the best that Flowey's birthday coincided with Froslass' arrival. Though showing up to the party takes Shoka out of her way, the queen's influence also has her feeling more in tune with her Mimikyu side than usual, making finishing Flowey's present a breeze, and it's also put her very much in the mood for celebrations and decorating.

Given her general work ethic, she may not have volunteered to help with the setup ahead of time, but after she arrives early, she's almost definitely helping out anyway—and later, when she finds an opportunity for it, she'll shuffle over to Flowey, holding a parcel wrapped loosely in paper.]

Happy birthday, dweeb. You are rocking the crown, by the way.

[She points to his party hat.]

[friendlyflower]

Yeah, laugh it up. You're just saying that because you know I can't take the stupid thing off. [He's clearly still grumpy, but happy to see her in his usual 'I don't actually care' sort of way. He can't help it-- he's clearly excited by the present. Thank goodness the thing is barely wrapped so he can mostly pull it open with his mouth. Once it's open, he eagerly peers inside.]

[telewarped]

No, no, I totally mean it! It's so you.

[In that it's pointed? Anyway, when he looks inside the parcel, the first thing he'll see is the image of a skull, lovingly knitted in black and white. His gift is a cozy-looking hat decorated with skulls and an impressive mohawk of yarn. It's apparently handmade, if its small imperfections are any indication.]

Buuut if you do want a break from it... At least you'll have a replacement.

[friendlyflower]

[His face visibly lights up. Flowey thrashes around until the party hat flies off and then worms his way into the new hat.]

Yes... YES!!!!!! I can hardly believe it! You know exactly what I like! [He strikes a little pose. ... Man, he wishes he had a mirror in here. Oh well.]

What, you didn't line it with ticks? No cayenne pepper this time? What's the catch?

[telewarped]

[Shoka snorts as she watches the party hat sail by.] What's that you were saying about not being able to take the party hat off?

[Fake party pooper spotted! He could have gotten out of the party hat at any time! He was totally wearing it by choice!

And now he's wearing the hat she made for him by choice. Even striking a little pose in it, too. Ugh, it's—actually really cute. Warmth spreads through her; she titters.]

Let's just say you're lucky that Pokéticks haven't been discovered yet. Same with Pokélice. [... As far as she knows?] As for the pepper... Don't go giving me any bright ideas for your next birthday surprise.

[Without really thinking about it, she reaches out and plants her hand atop his head, adjusting the hat to sit more securely over his leaves and briefly ruffling the yarn. She's a bit rough about it, but it's an affectionate gesture.]

No catch this time. Just enjoy your dumb gift, will you? [She withdraws her arm.] It looks good. Even more you than the party hat!

[friendlyflower]

[He's... not used to this 'kindness without an ulterior motive' thing. He imagines Shoka is just as uncomfortable with the genuine display of affection as he is.] Thanks for the cool hat! I'll put it to good use, hee hee!

Golly, you must've had a busy month, making this and the new disguise! A black cat, huh? Are you superstitious?

[telewarped]

Eh, sort of. I just found a rhythm with it, y'know?

[She's been practicing, of course, but after she had that dream, everything suddenly felt so much easier. The ideas flowed, her hands moved with unusual certainty and quickness... She suspects it might also have something to do with Froslass encouraging some innate, latent Mimikyu instincts within her—but she's trying not to think too much about Froslass and her festivities right now. This is Flowey time.

Idly, she tugs on the pierced ear of her new disguise. Superstitious, huh...?]

Are you?

[friendlyflower]

[She didn't deny it or play it off with a joke... interesting.]

Nope! But I do come from a world with magic and ghosts. [He does a little 'shrug' with his leaves.] I've heard black cats are supposed to bring bad luck. Was that what you were thinking...?

[telewarped]

Huh. Where I'm from, they're actually good luck. So don't get on my case about bringing bad luck to your birthday, got it?

[Either way, superstition really has little to do with it.]

If you really wanna know... I was thinking more about something I used to wear back home. It looked a lot like this, except it was a hoodie. [She worries the fabric of her ear between her claws.] It was important to me, so...

[friendlyflower]

Pfft, the only bad luck you've brought me is the spicy malasada. And I liked it, so that doesn't count.

[Oh! He immediately assumes that Mr. Mew is kind of like Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, the catgirl magical girl anime that Alphys really liked.] Oh, neat! You know, this hat is the first time I've worn clothes in a while. [Wait.] ... in a 'flowers don't wear clothes' way, NOT a weird way. But anyway, even before that, my mom always picked what I had to wear. Maybe this whole 'self-expression' thing isn't too bad.

[He nods approvingly. He's still in a good mood because of his cool hat.] It suits you! You strike me as more of a cat than a mouse, anyway.

Hmm... now I wonder what your human form looked like. [Unless they actually turn back at the end of all this, he's not sure he'll ever know. His experience with humans has been pretty limited.]

[telewarped]

[She gives an amused snort.]

Well, duh. It was the same way for me. That hoodie was the first thing I picked out for myself. [The first thing she bought in Shibuya, after the Inversion—after every remnant of her old life was reduced to dust.] After I did, things just sort of... clicked, y'know? Anyway, never too late to start trying things out yourself.

[Once she has more materials and more skill, maybe she'll even offer to commission something for him, just for practice.

As for her human form...]

Eh, wasn't too different from this. [This might just be the most unconvincing lie ever told.] Guess I wonder the same about you... Not that it's any of my business.

[She knows that he was a flower before this, after all, and before that, something else. A "monster", she guesses, like Noelle. She figures he might have looked like his parents, vague memories of whom still linger in the back of her mind, but their shapes are indistinct, clouded by time.]

we can leave this here unless you have another idea? your choice

[friendlyflower]

['Never too late to start trying things out yourself'... Shoka's wisdom never cases. (He would NOT fucking say that. Out loud at least.)]

You must've been one weird-looking human, then! Hee hee. As for me...

Wasn't too different from this! [He echoes her words.] Six golden petals. A white center with my sweet little smiling face.

[And before that...

... it doesn't matter. He'll never look like that again, for better or for worse.]