Flowey's Friendly February (& March) Catch-All

[friendlyflower]

Who: Flowey & Bigby, Eleanor, Nico Robin, others to be added
What: Quests (Bounty: Frightening Freeze; Light Construction; Tough Luv; others TBA) and more?
Where: Icefall Lake, Heavy Downmoor, the coast
When: February through March
Warnings: Violence (canon-typical, including battling, and maybe beyond), Flowey's warnings (child injury & past death, disassociation, angst)

Comments

Quest: Light Construction (with Eleanor)

[friendlyflower]

[[Results.]]

Flowey never used to wear his heart on his sleeve-- heartless and sleeveless as he is, even still. He could go through entire resets- weeks into months of acting and plotting and manipulating variables to get his desired outcome- without losing his cool.

But he isn't Underground anymore, and he can't reset. This world has thrown him off his balance in countless ways. Just last month, even more of the secrets he hoped to leave behind were unveiled as dreams bled into each other. Beyond that, after a horrible nightmare almost everyone shared, he was left with symptoms of poisoning and exhaustion!

He's better now and hoping to ease back into questing with an easy one. It will prove a good opportunity to catch up with Eleanor after... all that. (How awkward and how quaint it is for someone else's secrets to be pried out to him.) But all this talk of hearts and sleeves is to say: he's visibly moping when he shows up.

"... so, howdy," is all he says as a greeting. The two begin their descent into the caves. Crystals light the path, but even in the gaps, Flowey's no stranger to the dark.

[notyourbloodymessiah]

"Hi." Is all Eleanor responds with, in return. She's still a bit disoriented from the events of last month, but there's no better way to get herself back on her feet (flippers?) than some good old fashioned foraging with her old friend Flowey. She hopes, anyway.

As she shuffles along and begins to inspect some of the rocks, she glances over at her companion. "Rough night?" She asks, leaning back down to get a good look at the pile in front of her as if she has much idea of what she's looking for. She has a rough description to go off of. That's surely better than nothing.

[friendlyflower]

"Obviously," he says, though he doesn't intend to be so biting towards her. He sighs. "Still shaking off the last of that poisoning, and I don't feel like I got any good sleep all month."

He knows these caves well- drew the map for them, even- so it's no trouble to guide her down the correct paths. When he gets too far ahead, he waits for her to catch up. "... And some people saw some stupid dreams from me. Stuff I didn't want them to see. Just the cherry on top, right?"

He leaves it up to her if she wants to bring up her dreams or not.

1/2

[notyourbloodymessiah]

If he's not in the mood for small talk then that suits her plenty. It's not something she's at all good at and the immediate cutting to the chase makes it easier, even if Flowey's tone stings a little. "...at least everyone saw things others didn't want them to?"

She remembers some of them better than others... how many people saw her? It's not as if it's really a secret, she's mostly been avoiding talking about it to move forward, but--

2/2

[notyourbloodymessiah]

--her face shifts, mischievously. "Why, somebody see something really embarrassing?" She teases, tilting her head to the side as she follows along.

[friendlyflower]

"As if I'd tell you that easily!" he says, chuckling. At least his dumb secrets are safe from her. "... it's just that I was a real dumb kid back then."

This is coming from a runt Sunkern who still very much sounds like a kid. Still.

[notyourbloodymessiah]

"Oh! You wound me so!" She mocks being scandalised, a flipper to her head and her heart. He seems to be feeling better, at least. Even if she is teasing him. She gets back to a more normal position to walk, continuing to follow along. "...you're still young. You've got time to figure it out."

[friendlyflower]

"You're no wise old lady either, junior." She's clearly not the kid from the dream anymore, but still.

'He has time to figure it out'. He's had nothing but time.

"In fact, I might've seen you from back then."

[notyourbloodymessiah]

"I'd be concerned if you found seventee--" she stops when Flowey brings up the dream. Right. That. She doesn't necessarily care that he saw it. Of course he probably has questions about it. She bashfully brings her flipper to her cheek after tossing another dud rock to the side.

"You did." She pauses for a moment. "I assume you have questions."

Bounty: Frightening Freeze (with Bigby)

[friendlyflower]

[[Results.]]

Everything starts going wrong when their respective quest partners cancel and they wind up with each other. Flowey would rather die than have to partner with Bigby, but he's also too proud to walk away first (and, going alone, he probably would die). So, stuck together it is.

It would already be a miserable journey, but the weather makes it nearly intolerable. Repeated use of Sunny Day just barely brings the temperature from "near absolute zero" to "fucking freezing" as some of his new leaves and roots wither away. Flowey laughed the first time Bigby fell into a snowdrift, but as it kept happening, he reluctantly began helping dig him out. Just so they can keep going, not because he cares or anything.

Not much conversation is made besides a ton of griping and squabbling. Flowey is ready to write off the entire thing as a complete waste of time.

And that's when their reflections distort.

Stress and paranoia cause them both to attack. Flowey's seeds bounce helplessly off the ice, but Bigby's Aeroblast sends him flying back into the abyss.

"Bigby!" It's the first time this entire mission that Flowey has called him his name instead of some version of 'moron'. He makes his way as fast as he can to the edge of the chasm, where Bigby is hanging onto a branch jutting out the side of a sheer cliff.

Flowey looks around desperately. He can't lower a root or vine of his own; it would just wither away in the cold, and he's not strong enough to pull him up (loath as he is to admit it). "Hang on! I've got an idea!"

He was hoping to save this for the battle with the outlaw, but there's no other choice. Flowey chomps down on the hard-earned Violent Seed he brought with him. He thought about tossing it down to Bigby to give him strength, but with the wind, there was too much risk that moron Bigby would miss it.

Power surges through him. After another Sunny Day, he extends roots that dig into the ground to stabilize himself and then lowers an unusually sturdy (for him) vine toward Bigby. "Climb up!"

[wolfcut]

At some point during this whole expedition of theirs, Bigby has to wonder if any of it would even be worth the effort. He's tired and cold, made all the worse by the thorn at his side that he can't seem to shake no matter what he does around the Bay. But it's too late to turn back when they've already gotten this far, and remembering Flowey's history with these sorts of things, he can't let the kid's stubbornness outlast his own. This really is his own personal hell. Knowing that, he should have been prepared for what was next.

Instead, his distorted mirror completely wipes away all sense of reason. Maybe last month's dreams of hunting himself, over and over again, are finally coming to a head. Maybe deep down, he's still just a wild animal afraid of its own reflection. Whatever it might be, he manages to huff out a blast of air he didn't realize he could muster anymore, only for it to get sent right back at him, sweeping him off his feet and over the edge. Poetic, really.

Hang on. Like he has much of a choice. Even with his eyes closed shut, his head is spinning, and while his grip is still tight, he can hear the branch creak and sway from his weight. He doesn't want to look up at what Flowey could be doing up there, not when he knows he'll just as well glance down at the depths below. Even the thought alone sends him into a quiet panic.

"K-kid, just—" Leave him, he wants to say. Call in a rescue before things just wind up worse, because between the two of them, that's how things are always bound to go. Instead, Flowey calls out for him one more time, enough for him to finally peek at the vine inching toward him. Bigby hesitates, afraid of losing his hold by reaching out too quickly, or worse, accidentally dragging the Sunkern down with him. A moment passes before he finally finds it in himself to finally make the leap of faith.

"I'm... I'm coming up." There's no hiding the shakiness in his voice. It takes him a bit to make it partially back up, but between the exhaustion and fear, the climb is taking its toll. He needs the reassurance, which he doubts he'll get from Flowey, so he'll phrase it another way. "H-how are you doing, kid?"

[friendlyflower]

Flowey does his best to lift the vine up with Bigby on it, just so it's a little easier. A part of the vine will wrap around Bigby like a harness if he allows it. He's not really sure if he can pull Bigby up entirely on his own, but he's not about to let him slip. Nobody would believe it was an accident.

"Me? B-better than you," he says, though there's some obvious strain in his voice. The Violent Seed is like a shot of caffeine and adrenaline, but even so, Sunkern is not a powerful Pokemon. He can already tell the comedown from this is going to be rough. "Maybe you can cut down on your seed diet after this. Hee hee."

After this-- making it clear he's not about to let Bigby die on his watch. That's about as close to reassurance as he can bring himself to give.

"Just a little more. How are you gonna kick my ass for calling you fat if you give up now?" And just think about all the chaos he'll cause on the Grumpearl network without someone to knock some sense into him!

[wolfcut]

"Yeah, yeah. L-let it out while you still can."

Chubby hamster jokes aside, he's not going to fight against the extra help from Flowey, even if he doesn't acknowledge outright either. With a deep breath, he restarts the climb, pushing past the dizziness of nearly knocking himself out just moments before. The kid won't be able to see it, but he's smirking to himself slightly, pathetic as he feels right about now.

"When I get up there—" Weakly, he laughs, still feeling out of breath. "—you're gonna tell me who taught you that word, F-Flowey."

He's probably to blame, but that's neither here nor there. It takes a few more pulls before he can finally peek over, followed by one frantic jump to make it back on solid ground. He scrambles to put some distance between him and the ledge, only to collapse under his own shaky legs. Bigby sighs, back turned toward Flowey, with his head in his paws.

"... Th-thanks." The adrenaline will wear off soon enough, leaving him to deal with his own self-inflicted injuries, so for now, he'll eat a dried seed. So much for that diet. "Give... give me a second, okay?"

[friendlyflower]

"Emporio," he answers. He would go on a rant about how he's not a kid and can use swears if he damn well wants, but it would just make him sound more childish. "That kid's way smarter than he looks."

He retracts the vine back into his shell. The adrenaline crash-esque effect of the Violent Seed could be any second, now. He can already tell parts of him that he didn't even know existed are going to ache.

But it was worth it, wasn't it? He saved the senile old man. His own pointless life has had some meaning. He doesn't necessarily feel any better, though-- in fact, he's going to be exhausted later and they'll probably go back to fighting within the hour. But he already knew that being 'good' is counterintuitive.

"Here." He passes over an Oran Berry. One less provision for the encounter with the outlaw, but they have to make it there alive, first. "Heh. We really should turn back, shouldn't we?"

They're both small, and he in particular is a Grass-type. Someone else could deal with all this. What are they trying to prove?

"... you can, at least. I've got a little score to settle with Froslass." Obviously he's not 100% certain that's who's awaiting them, but he has a good feeling. She's not just going to take over his Death Blood Murder Skull Town, try to brainwash him, and get away with it.

[wolfcut]

Emporio, Flowey says. So it’s all Anasui’s fault then, even if he keeps that to himself. No disagreement about that kid being too smart for his own good though. Bigby can only hope he’s mostly a good influence on Flowey otherwise. With a sharp exhale, he blows a bit of fur out of his eyes, only to wince at the sharp pain his chest. A blast like that taking the wind out of him really puts things into perspective.

Caught up in his own head, he’s quiet even when Flowey hands him a berry, taking it with his back still turned. Bigby almost doesn’t want to eat it, as if he should just be able to push through and save their rations for the real fight, but this isn’t the time. There’s more than just himself to worry about. He takes each bite slowly, tensing the more Flowey goes on until he snaps back with a low growl: “No.”

And that’s all the consideration he’ll give to going back. From the look on Bigby’s face, it’s obvious Flowey’s not the only one with unfinished business. He starts to scarf the rest of the berry down with a small shudder. If they don’t make it now, they never will, but suddenly his ears start to twitch. He looks up and around, the echoes of beating wings bouncing off the walls.

“Fuck,” he huffs under his breath without thinking, before quickly shooting Flowey a glare to say don’t repeat that. A burst of air passes through. Something just used Tailwind to make up some distance. “Y-you hear that?”

1/2

[friendlyflower]

"Golly! Guess we're stuck together for a while longer, then." They might as well try and 'get along', he supposes.

He wonders what Bigby's beef with Froslass is, besides the obvious. Now that he thinks about it, she brainwashed him too, didn't she? He thinks he remembers hearing rumors about a maid cafe. Oh man, he would've paid to see that!

... though he supposes it wouldn't have been that fun for Bigby. Being out of control, under the thumb of someone with a greater will-- it's exactly why Flowey wanted to avoid Skull Town. Too many bad memories.

At least Bigby wasn't too stubborn to eat the berry he provided. He watches him silently. When they were both making fun of Fireheart, they kind of got along for a moment-- though that was not the first impression he wanted to give. And the old man did save him when they were on that expedition together. He supposes that's a debt repaid. And then back in the clinic...

Despite all the time he spent in resets, he is still a kid at heart, isn't he? It's humbling, to say the least. And if he is just a soulless automaton who can only do wrong, then why did he save Bigby? Just to avoid getting in trouble at the guild? To use him as a meat shield for the fight with Froslass?

He might have used those excuses before. But now...

"Bigby, I was thinking," he mutters, each word coming out like it's being dragged from him. Bigby may not even hear him over the gathering wind. Even if he doesn't hear, it still counts if he says it, right? "Look, I owe you an--"

2/2

[friendlyflower]

But that's when Bigby interrupts. Flowey does hear what he's referring to: a wind not like the unfocused snowstorm they've trudged through, but a razor-sharp knife slicing through the ice straight towards them.

It's only because of his warning that he jumps out of the way. He can't make out the Pokemon itself at first, the way it blends into the white all around them. All he can do is quickly duck and dodge under Aurora Beams.

"Get out! Leave this instant!" the attacker demands. Flowey can only make it out by its eyes at first-- large, black, insect-like eyes that stare daggers right into him. "She's already suffering enough! Don't you come and make it worse!"

"'She', huh?" Flowey says. It must be Froslass, then. "Golly! If she's in pain, I guess we better just go home." He quickly winks at Bigby. "I'll start heading down!"

By hopping down the path, Frosmoth has turned mostly away from Bigby, just as Flowey intended. Still indignant, it insists: "Take the other one."

"Him? He couldn't hurt a Caterpie," Flowey says. A certain malice underlies his words, like he's casting a spell. "Good thing, too! Sounds like your stupid Froslass is going to keel over any second, and you'll never see her again."

It's an unconventional Swagger, but it works. Already furious, the Frosmoth quickly boils over into a near-rabid state. It fires attack after attack at Flowey, who- to his credit- holds his own by hiding behind small glaciers and snow drifts. But the Frosmoth is quickly cutting through them all; he can't dodge forever. He can shake off the snow and ice a tiny bit because of his warm clothes, but a Bug Buzz reverberates through his shell and leaves him open.

[wolfcut]

Whatever Flowey was planning to say can wait. He forces himself to stand as the Frosmoth comes into view, but he's immediately clutching at his chest despite the inevitable about to happen. His eyes narrow up at the bug flying overhead, not in the mood at this point to bother with trying to talk the Pokémon down, especially not when it's obviously talking about her.

"You—" Before he can get a word in, Flowey's already putting the attention all himself. His frustration shifts to confusion just slightly with the wink in his direction. Then, it all becomes clear when the Swagger takes effect. Fur bristling, Bigby instinctively wants to jump in, only to hesitate as the pain flares up again. He curls up slightly, stuck watching while Flowey has to hold his own. Credit where credit's due: the sunflower seed can do more than cry and whine. Not that Bigby can think much about that right now.

While the Frosmoth focuses on Flowey, he slinks off in the background, finding a spot to hole himself away in to mostly recover. From his own supplies, he fishes for another berry, about to force himself to eat that one too, but pops his head out instead once he hears an attack hit. His ears flatten instantly, eyes going wide as he sees the Frosmoth readying up another empowered move.

"Hey! Forget about me?" It pauses to spin around, angrily swooping toward him for its next Bug Buzz next. Not great with him being just as weak to it, but he stances up regardless. With a glance toward Flowey, he throws the berry over. "Big mistake."

Bold words from a tiny thing like him. He pulls in a deep breath, not taking his eyes off the Pokémon even as it flies dangerously close. Once it's in just the right spot, he finally fires off another Aeroblast at an actual target this time. The force behind it sends him flying against a wall, but it also lands just as intended. He doesn't see it, too busy dealing with more self-inflicted injuries, but the Frosmoth does get shot back with a super effective move, dazed and confused, unable to stay in the air for much longer. It drops further away, and the air goes quiet.

Quest: Tough Luv (with Nico Robin)

[friendlyflower]

His quest partner this time is some kind of sarcophagus ghost with multiple arms and shadow powers. Meanwhile, he's stuck as a seed.

Some people get all the luck.

They meet just where the town meets the beach. With a use of his Sunny Day combined with the beginning of the Spring thaw, it really is a beautiful afternoon. Flying-types are singing, flowers are sprouting...

"Howdy! I'm Flowey!" he greets, once she arrives. "Flowey the Sunkern! Welcome to the Guild, new pal!"

[voidcentury]

Her quest partner is an adorable little seedling with a cheerful face and power over the weather. Meanwhile she's stuck as a coffin.

Some people get all the luck.

"Thank you, Flowey. My name is Robin." Robin looks out towards the sea. "Do you know what these Luvdisc look like?"

[friendlyflower]

"Fish! Heart-shaped fish. That's what I heard, anyway!"

Maybe they know it's Valentine's Day? No, that's stupid, Flowey thinks.

"I'm a Grass-type, so don't you worry! I can handle a little fish or two." He does his best to make himself sound stronger than he actually is. He has to show seniority over the newbie somehow. "Have you ever fought before? As a Pokemon, I mean, or before you came here."

[voidcentury]

Robin can't help but think back to Sabaody. She's sure this isn't the same as the anti-Fishman sentiment there, but her mind connects the dots regardless.

"I can hold my own." Robin says calmly. It will be tricky if she gets hit with seawater, but this body can do things that her Devil Fruit can't. "Would you like to lead the way?"

[friendlyflower]

He likes that she asked. It makes him feel important-- though just as easily, she could be patronizing him. He'll have to show her what he can really do.

"You got it! Just follow me!"

The way he has to move around as a Sunkern doesn't exactly command respect, though. He hops toward the shoreline. Once they're close enough, he calls forward another Sunny Day as if issuing a challenge. His Solar Power ability (as he heard it was called) makes him feel invigorated. Hopefully, his ghostly friend isn't averse to a little sunshine.

The waves churn, and sure enough, cute heart-shaped fish with little beaks burst out of the water to answer the challenge. Half of their Water Gun attacks evaporate in the hot air, leaving only a little sprinkle that wets his leaves. He lets out a mocking laugh. "Is that REALLY the best you can do?"

Time to return fire. He starts spitting out Bullet Seeds that knock several of the Luvdisc out of the air. They splash back into the water unceremoniously.

[voidcentury]

Oh, that's what he meant by heart-shaped. That's much less gruesome than she expected. Floating over the water to claw at them is dangerous, so it's time to try a new technique. She crosses her lower pair of arms.

"Cien Fleur!" A crawling sphere of shadow begins to manifest in front of her. At first glance it looks like a mass of spiders, but closer inspection reveals it is many tiny Cofagrigus hands. "Infestation!"

Robin launches the unnerving sphere at one of the Luvdisc, who reels back slightly at the initial hit. The ball then unfurls and the tiny hands begin crawling and clawing at the Luvdisc. The Luvdisc squirms and tries to shake them off, but the hands hold its fins in place so it cannot swim away.

[friendlyflower]

Flowey has never been more impressed and more jealous in his entire life. The Luvdisc who just got hit with a super-effective Bullet Seed got off easy! He considers finishing the infested Luvdisc off as a coup de grâce, but decides to avoid kill KO stealing as a sign of respect.

"Golly, you sure can hold your own!" he says. "... Say, pal, how about we make shooting fish in a barrel a little more interesting? Whoever beats more of the Luvdisc is the winner!"

He has the feeling she's still holding out on him. What other horrifying moves does she have in store?