Flowey's April Showers/May Flowers Catch-all

[friendlyflower]

Who: Flowey & Cedric, Emporio, Mayaka, Ritsuka, Oko; others may be added
What: Quests (one backdated)
Where: The cliffs & beyond, Forest Waystations
When: April through May
Warnings: Violence (canon-typical, including battling, and maybe beyond), Flowey's warnings (child injury & past death, disassociation, angst)

Comments

Going Up (Emporio & Mayaka)

[friendlyflower]

[After Spinarak's briefing, Flowey begins gathering branches to be turned into walkways. This will be an easy 100 points-- those two suckers will probably even do most of the work for him.]

Mayaka, you can tie the branches together and make them all pretty. Emporio, you lay them out.

[He hasn't forgotten the prank- he rarely forgets anything- but they've probably moved past it.]

[sharpjustice]

[Mayaka has been pretty quiet up till now, giving the impression that she just doesn't have much to say, or that she didn't want to interrupt during the briefing.]

Hmm?

[Her back has been turned to Flowey as she's been busying herself picking up branches. Hearing him address her, she slowly swivels around, a wide smile spreading across her face.]

Oh! What a fantastic idea Flowey!

when u go to check threads and 'oh it ate my comment ok'

[seacub]

[[OOC - begging dw with all my heart to sort this outtttt]]

[Emporio has no doubt done most of the talking so far. And, so far, he's been fairly bright. Cheerful. Maybe even brighter than typical? Normally he's said something alarmingly depressing now, even if it doesn't make him depressed.

...Clearly he's just having a great day!

His usual instinct would, in fact, be to ask Flowey- ok and what about you, gathering isn't much when the materials are right here?

But that's not the name of today's game. The name of today's game is 'Play Nice (aggressive)'.

Which is why he just.

Keeps smiling.]

It's a perfect idea, I agree!

[something seems off about Emporio's voice right now but Arceus only knows if anyone could place it]

You're pretty great at coming up with good ideas!

[HMMMMM.]

[friendlyflower]

[They're both acting weird. Namely: less annoying than usual. Emporio hasn't even said something alarmingly depressing yet, like, 'in prison I survived on a diet of gruel and rats' or whatever.

He doesn't know their angle yet, but he's practically the one who invented forced cheerfulness. If that's their game, he'll show them how a true master does it.]

Thanks, team! And you two are great at answering the call!

[sharpjustice]

[Mayaka faces some difficulty tying the branches together with her gloves on, so she removes them and tries again. Normally, she'd be mindful to keep her poison claws a safe distance away from others, but today she seems to want to stay close to her team. Gotta stick together to keep the vibes up!]

Am I doing this right? [she asks Flowey with a pleasant smile, shoving the frame of branches and her poison-tipped claws extremely close to his face in mock-enthusiasm.]

[seacub]

[Normally, this is where Emporio would step in. There would be no smile, as genuine concern takes precedence. Poison is super effective! That's bad!!

...

He is just smiling. He's alarmingly good at that, considering how depressing he normally is.]

Right- we really want to make sure this works perfectly after all!

[This is going to be the strangest game of Chicken...]

Ditto to That (Ritsuka)

[friendlyflower]

[Before the 'Drowzee' swarm appears on the horizon, Flowey stands at the outskirts of the city with Ritsuka. The Sunkern has already introduced himself, but he seems eager to get past the 'get to know you' part and into battle preparations.]

I can probably put a lot of them to sleep with my Grasswhistle move. Then they'll be easy pickings for you, I'm sure! [Although he's only just met her and learned her name, he always has a (metaphorical) ear to the ground for rumors and information. Ritsuka seems to be an experienced adventurer. He's eager to see her in action.] What do you think?

[lightofchaldea]

Ritsuka considered that for a moment--though only briefly, as she was all too used to making quick judgments about imminent combat--then nodded.

"That should work. Can you defend yourself if you need to, or should I try to focus on making sure none gets through?"

She could probably fight more efficiently if defense wasn't a concern, but she was keenly aware of how losing her partner's support could make that moot. That, and she didn't want him getting hurt just because she was careless.

[friendlyflower]

"Shucks, I can handle myself," Flowey says, smugly. Ritsuka might be able to tell that he's just a little seed who has to hop around to move, but still-- he has his pride, and he has to show seniority to the new recruit! "You focus on yourself, alright? You may have seen combat before, but you're in a new body now!"

The first Drowzee appear over the horizon. They look perfectly normal at first glance, but closer inspection would reveal some of them have dot eyes.

[lightofchaldea]

Well, she hadn't wanted to assume either way. But Ritsuka was quick to trust that Flowey knew his own capabilities.

"Got it."

She turned her attention toward the approaching Drowzee horde. Some of them did look a little... different, admittedly, but, well. Ritsuka was new, and definitely didn't know what was and wasn't simple normal variation between Pokemon.

Besides, the important part was being ready to fight. She still wasn't terribly experienced in directly fighting herself, but she knew the basics, and wasn't afraid to try. So she watched carefully as they approached, body poised as best she could to be ready to move when the time came.

[friendlyflower]

True to the plan, Flowey starts with a Grasswhistle and watches the horde start to thin out. He trips or entangles another section with Leech Seed attacks.

"Are you waiting for an invitation? Show me what you've got!" His face takes on a wicked quality. "Make them regret attacking our town."

[lightofchaldea]

Well, she didn't need to be told twice. Or at all, really. Once given the 'signal' of Grasswhistle was given, she was quick to rush into the fray as quickly as her little legs could carry her.

Maybe it would have been more effective attacking from the air, but Ritsuka wasn't nearly good enough at flying yet to properly pull that off.

In any case, she went at it with her all. Her limited moveset meant she could really only focus on attacking one at a time, but Ritsuka did her best anyway, focused mostly on trying to drive them off if possible and only go for a knockout if necessary. All while trying to be mindful of Flowey's attacks--she'd rather not get seeded herself, thanks.

[Backdated] Leaf it To Us! (Oko)

[friendlyflower]

[Constructing a waystation in the forest: one of those ideas that sounds great on paper. But when Flowey tries to report to the quest's starting location to meet Sentret, the woods warp and shift around him, and it's as if he's in three separate biomes all at once.

He finally shows up, a little later than he would like, and sees Sentret already waiting for him. His quest partner this time is someone named 'Oko'. He lets his frustration be replaced with a mask of happiness.]

Howdy! Sorry I'm late!

[33elk]

[ It seems that the man called Oko was... late? Huh. The Sentret is still explaining, when--

Huh. Wait. Is that a second Flowey, right across from the other, like some sort of twisted mirror? Is it just the fuckery of the forest, or...? ]

Oh, no. I'm sorry I'm late.

[friendlyflower]

[Flowey's grin slowly warps. Now what?]

Cute trick. Are you a Ditto or some other kind of freak?

[33elk]

Pardon me?

[ He's not good at the voice, but he is trying. ]

How do I know you're not the freak here, freak?

[friendlyflower]

You're hilarious. [He's not taking the bait.] Fine, have it your way. Let's see how long you can deal with not having any arms or legs.

[Sentret seems to feel pretty awkward about this whole thing.]

[33elk]

[ The best thing about illusions? He still has them, and is totally keeping that secret. But he does move rather well for this form. ]

So. We're meant to be protecting you and the workers, then, Mister Sentret? Sounds easy enough.

Over the Brink (Cedric)

[friendlyflower]

[Flowey's irritation at being paired up with Cedric quickly turns to confusion as the teleportation specialists begin to panic. It seems like those idiots lost the teams that already went out-- who could have thought that suddenly adopting mass use of a barely-tested system could go so wrong?

He doesn't have time for sarcasm and slinging blame, though; Shoka was one of the people who went ahead of him. (With Siffrin, not like he cares or anything. Whatever.) Flowey turns his attention from glaring at Cedric towards actual solutions; he tries to reach out to every missing person through Grumpearl and does the little he can to help troubleshoot the teleportation systems.

For the most part, though, he's resigned to pacing around and waiting. Flowey turns his attention to meticulously planning, using one of his leaves to write shorthand messages on a tablet. He might be over-preparing, but it's some way he can regain control in this situation.

If Cedric looks at what Flowey is writing, it seems like it's a list of his own and Cedric's strengths. Flowey has noted that he has moves like Grasswhistle, Sunny Day, and Light Screen, while Cedric has the ability to fly as well as moves like Gust. (Cedric may feel like Flowey has been watching or even stalking him, but to be fair, Flowey does that to everyone-- though that may not make it any better.)]

Listen, Cedric. [There's no derogatory title this time.] I don't like you and you don't like me, but they need our help out there.

[What follows is a very logical strategy: to search past the cliffs methodically, utilizing each of their strengths. Cedric can take to the sky while Flowey stays closer to the ground, both specialists in their respective domain. He suggests synergies between their battle abilities like he's an old pro in combat, despite his voice sounding like he can't be more than 12 years old.]

What do you think?

[cedricthegreat]

[The feeling was quite mutual when Cedric found out he was assigned to Flowey, of all people. The Seedot wasn't very nice to him last time they chatted on the Grumpearl, prompting him to block the guy shortly after, and now he's begrudgingly unblocked him since they're forced to communicate again. He hates it. Flowey can definitely tell he hates it.

But what he hates more is Pokémon disappearing through the new teleportation, especially when he hears one of them was Siffrin, the Shinx who literally threw themself under boulders to save Cedric during their last major quest. They spared him great pain, and now he needs to return the favour... oh, and to Shoka, he supposes. She wasn't nice on the Grumpearl either, but Noelle seems quite upset for her sake, so he will include Shoka if it will make her happy.

Initially expecting Flowey to be much more annoying about this, he is surprised to see the note-taking, so yes he does steal a glance over. He... doesn't like how many details this guy knows about him that are from after he was blocked, but uh, at least this seems to be real strategizing?

It's when he's snooping that Flowey suddenly speaks and he straightens up, as if he was just caught stealing from the cookie jar. Then his eyes widen when the words are direct, not patronizing. And the plan is well thought out, admittedly better than what he would have conceived on his own; it would remind him of Roland if Flowey's voice wasn't significantly higher than his royal friend.

So after some thought, he frowns, but nevertheless delivers a nod.] As much as I dislike this arrangement, I agree that your idea is the best option we have. Very well. I'll keep you in sight from above in case the Pearls continue to malfunction.

[friendlyflower]

Alright. Glad you can be logical. [He's still remembering Cedric's reaction to knowledge of the comas.

He restrains himself from further slights, at least for the moment. They have a job to do. He sets about reviewing the map. It ends at the cliffs, so once they go past, they'll be in uncharted territory.]

[cedricthegreat]

[He is this close to insisting he's always logical but doesn't. Even though he knows it's true. Little does Flowey know that Cedric is aware now that he was right about the comas and just refuses to say so out loud. What's the point?

He examines the map before flapping into the air, and that's when it registers where the cliffs are. He can handle them, he thinks, but what about the Seedot? What about Siffrin and Shoka, who also have no wings? No, can't dwell on that. Donning his robe and wand brooch, he's at least more likely to show up through fog as he keeps a viewable distance above Flowey.]

(he's a sunkern btw XD)

[friendlyflower]

[The platforms that were built up the cliffside make the trip easier. Notably, he refuses to let Cedric fly him up, even though it takes them longer to actually get to the peak.

There are a few other rescue teams getting their bearings near the top, but Flowey doesn't bother to stop and talk to them. He's obstinate as ever, but much less vocal about it.

Once they reach the fog, they have no choice but to rely fully on each other. Once or twice, Flowey has to call out to help Cedric find his way back to him from the sky when the fog gets too dense. On one such occasion, there's yet another cliff, but without any platforms.

So far, Flowey has been able to use vines or other creative methods to get around. But this time, he's going to have to get help.]

Carry me. And don't drop me.

[This might go easier- and thus, be over faster- if he would say 'please'. But he already feels humiliated enough.]

Bottlecap Critics’ Circle: Sweets Edition (Archnemon)

[friendlyflower]

[Arriving early to the kitchen, Flowey manages to gather most of the ingredients while only spilling a few of them. Hatenna could just levitate them onto the counters, but he's not going to be outdone, especially since he'll have to rely on her so much for the following parts. Tempering eggs won't be easy with no arms, after all.

Despite his best efforts, it feels just a little bit all wrong. The milk came from a Miltank (gross), the egg from a Chansey (also gross), and the spices don't taste quite the same. And when Toriel made it, she would know the perfect amount of heat to apply using her fire magic-- even as a flower with control over time, he couldn't make it quite right on his own. This might have been a mistake, even if he wants to show up all those other morons (and do something nice for Mayaka, or whatever).

He's just about to completely bail when Hatenna arrives. He puts on his smile, despite how futile it is-- she can likely sense his trepidation.]

Howdy! Ready to teach those chumps how to really bake? Hee hee.

[wovensecrets]

[ In some ways, Archnemon almost can't believe she let herself get set up for something like this, but still, it was something she had practically walked into after all. What surprisingly personal stakes were involved. The pieces had lined up too neatly. Mayaka-chan, of all people setting up a quest this specific, and Flowey-kun being all too handy with the recipe he'd mentioned not too long before they'd found that out.

They could have gone anywhere to participate in the spirit of it, but instead, here they were about to get to work themselves. She'd fitted some time in to practice needed techniques, at least. ]

Oh? I'm ready, though I hope you didn't have too much trouble finding what we need.

[ But she can see he has quite the set up prepared for them. Despite his words, she can sense a slight trepadation, but it makes sense. ]