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She's come by the shop again. Flower King stands, all alone and abandoned. She goes at night to water them and turn their lights on, then returns to turn the lights off at day.
Susie stays a little longer by Flowery. She's just finished watering them all, but even with the water and light she gives him, he can barely stay upright himself. The ugly gash behind rolls of tape is barely hidden, always so visible, like it's taunting how little she can do. She doesn't really want to admit it, but…
Maybe he's…
Susie grits her teeth. The Knight was right there and she couldn't do a thing. All any of them could do was watch Flowery give chase for a hopeless battle, a battle she thought just maybe he could win, with his confidence and bravado and bravery.
But instead they found him sliced in half, a horrific sight she still sees when she looks at his flower form.
She'd ask him how he is, but it's not like they can talk anymore. If only she could ask… Susie looks in the direction of the school from the windows. She knew they couldn't last long in their own dark world, and with how damaged Flowery is, staying in their castle town isn't even a question.
But maybe… it could be? Even if just for a few hours, if she could bring him over and just check up on him properly…
She looks back at him, wilting petals and a bent stem. Even without a face, he looks pained, in a way she can't describe. Somehow, the other flowers always lean towards him, as if they could push through their glass chambers to cradle him.
It makes her chest ache, just a tiny bit.
She asks Ralsei about her idea the moment she's back.
“H-huh? Bring Flowery here… for a day?” He seems genuinely thrown off by what seemed like a simple yes or no question to Susie.
“Yeah," she scratches her cheek, eyes staring at the floor when thinking of Flowery, “I know the flowers can't stay but… I'm kinda worried he's not—" the idea makes her choke for a second, “And I just think… we could ask him how he's doing, he could spend some time here before going back…”
It'd probably be nice for him… to have a human form again. Even for just a short while. At least, she thinks.
Ralsei hums unsurely. She expects him to say it won't be possible. Ralsei never liked Flowery much - always hilariously pissed off by him -, but he still cared deeply. He'd want to keep Flowery safe too, probably.
“... Maybe, maybe we could," the Prince eventually settles on, a small, sad smile on his face, “If he doesn't have long left… it's be nice to let him experience this place…"
Susie cringes, “Don't—don’t say that man, he'll—he’ll be okay! Once we find Kris’s dad, he'll be fine. He's…” her words taste like ashes of a lie. She's not sure she believes in her own hope right now.
Maybe it is all just a last stand for him. The kind of kindness they give a prisoner before being executed. Last meal sort of thing.
Ralsei's sad smile falls into a somber frown. His paws fiddle with the torn, golden scarf around his shoulders
Susie sighs, “... I'll bring him tomorrow," then she smirks, “I'll bet he'll be happy to see you wearing it.”
The goat boy flusters at her remark, "I-I’m not wearing if he's coming over! I'd never let him see,” he mumbles through heated breaths and pink cheeks, a pout dragged across his face.
Susie laughs, "C’mon man! Just for tomorrow!”
"No way!”
—
Flowery knew of the heroes’ fountain, but he still had no idea what it looked like.
He finds himself awake in Susie's arm as a human, in pain all around but with a physical body to feel it rather than the delicate one of a flower. The first thing that comes out of his mouth is a hiss as he's gently deposited.
“Sorry dude! I'm tryna be careful," Susie smiles sheepishly above him.
Ralsei peers down with a furrowed brow too, "How are you feeling, Flowery?”
Flowery stares, still trying to gather his thoughts at suddenly being corporeal again, then offers a charming smile, “All good princesses. What's the, uh, occasion? Trying to reroot me somewhere new?” he reaches a hand to pat Ralsei's fluffy head. He missed having hands, even if his consciousness as a flower was mostly muted.
Susie smiles in relief. Ralsei's expression contorts almost immediately into annoyance, a hint of relief in the way his face blooms with light pink, “... Of course you'd act like this the moment you're back.”
Flowery tries to laugh, but his pain lances through his body, cutting it off into coughs, “Well, I'll admit I'm feeling a little uprooted from my home turf…” he'd been a wilting flower moments ago, and now he could sit up, even if it took great difficulty. The things he notices about himself first are the rolls of tape acting as bandages over his midriff and arm, as well as the dull pain below his wrist that overrides any feeling in it and the very prominent aching where his wounds are the worst.
He tries to move it. It responds slowly, delayed and clumsy, through pulses of stinging.
… Well, what had he expected? He'd been cleaved right in half, his guts had spilled and he'd barely managed to cover it up with golden flowers before the others saw him. The fact that he is still alive is a miracle!
(Flowery tries to ignore the creeping, gaping cold at his centre as it dawns on him how close he’d come to dying—how he's still too close.)
“So you're uh…” Susie nervously jitters, "You doing okay, yeah? Healing up well and everything? And the other flowers are okay too?"
Flowery shakes himself out of his stupor. He can't tell if she's still hoping he'll make it or if she's trying to convince herself so. Flowery himself had accepted the moment he'd turned back into a flower that he was on a slow path towards death.
“I'm fine as a fern, Susie, and the others are very healthy, thanks to you," he tries getting up as a show of his not-ailing health, but that proves impossible when he can't even press a little weight on his hand or body without a surge of agony erupting.
"Hey! Don't push yourself! You're like, super fragile right now,” Susie takes his good arm over her shoulder. He's quite a bit taller than her, so he awkwardly leans down as she carries most of his weight.
"Much appreciated, Princess," he says with a breezy chuckle, “If I can ask," the flower looks ahead at the gushing geyser of black rising from the castle before him, “Why did you bring me here?”
Part of him thinks it's to do with his transient nature, made even more short by his latest encounter. A last huzzah of sorts. But Susie doesn't seem the type.
"... Just needed to check up on you, since I can't ask when you're a flower,” Susie mumbles, keeping her gaze straight.
Flowery thinks there are more sombre words between what's said. He doesn't push, instead offering a smile, "Well, I'm happy to say I'm as spry as bamboo shoots!” Coughing interrupts him, wracked from the way his innards flinch, "... Though I can confidently say… I've been better.”
Ralsei huffs a small laugh, “I'm glad you're… okay, Flowery," despite his words, his face is grave with a heavy melancholic acceptance. Flowery finally notices what he's wearing instead of his usual pink scarf.
“Heh. I guess my style finally rubbed off on you, huh Raly?" He says with a chuckle, trying to poke the boy on the nose with a shaking hand.
The prince hides a scowl under his scarf, an arm out like he's planning on swatting Flowery before thinking better of it.
As sweet as it is, the Scarf’s tears and worn gold only make Flowery feel worse. It might as well be a mirror for himself. He looks away from it, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.
"Since you're here, wanna see our castle town for a bit?” Susie pauses when Flowery slows down. Her brow furrows at his panting, "Shit. I guess walking in your state probably isn't easy."
It's frustrating, is what it is. He'd spent years wanting to have a form with legs and hands and mouth and now it's all ruined, “I'm good, Susie. I just need… a quick breather."
“I’ll find something to help you!” Ralsei announces, running off in a determined sprint through the grand doors before them.
Flowery carefully deposits himself on a nearby wall with Susie's help. The town around him is bustling with darkners of shapes and sizes he's never seen. It's all so lively, a bit like his own castle, maybe smaller. Somehow, that made the place just look even livelier.
“Susie!!" A bell ringing, followed by screeching tires, approaches them rapidly, "Woah! Who's the new guy? He looks kinda hurt!”
Flowery stares wordlessly at the round blue boy marked by spades. A playing card, surely. And a very loud one at that, with his tongue hanging out wildly.
"Lancer! Hey bud," the two share a high five, “This is Flowery! He's a friend from our latest adventure. He's kinda hurt, but he'll be okay, right?” she turns to him with a bright grin, brimming with hope. All her earlier doubts seem to have vanished.
Flowery smiles, despite himself, “Of course. Couldn't let down a princess like you, could I?”
Maybe it's the way this town seems so full of life that gives her strength. He supposes he understands why they fought so hard. He can't hold it against them. It was their world or his.
It's… A nice place, if a little loud and cramped.
In the distance, Ralsei bursts out the doors again, “Here, Flowery," he offers a walking stick perfect for his height, “This should help you out a little."
Flowery takes the stick in hand. He gets up at a snail’s pace, wincing through the pain that pulses and weakens, but never fades. He's up, and leaning almost everything on the stick, but he's up on shaking legs and he'll take it. Ralsei looks on in guilty sorrow, but Flowery won't have that, “It's perfect, little Raly! You and your pure heart,” he tries patting the darkner’s shoulder with his somewhat limp hand. It hurts a lot.
Ralsei can tell, taking it gently and placing it by Flowery's hips so it doesn't flop down painfully, "Um, I'll see if there's anything else that can be done. Just… take it easy, okay?”
Flowery will certainly take it easy. He's exhausted standing up alone.
"So, since I'm here, would you mind taking me on a little tour? I'm curious to see what was worth shutting our world down.”
The joke rings hollow and instead seems to land like a gut punch on the two heroes. Flowery breathes a tired, amused sigh, “I'm only joking. I really am curious."
"... Well, there's a fighting dojo,” Susie points to the building with the aforementioned sign, "It kinda just changes every time. I don't even know what's going on there.”
If only his body wasn't so damaged, maybe showing one or two Jaronas would be fun.
“And there's the cafe,” Susie continues, "It's back under control now that Swatch is back. Oh! You should meet Queen and Tenna!"
Flowery raises an eyebrow, “Queen?” he looks curiously at Ralsei.
“Oh, she’s not the Queen of his kingdom. You know it’s only me,” Ralsei explains, “She’s the laptop darkner from the library.”
He finds himself chuckling lightly, “Heh, so you just stole library resources? Just what are you princesses really fighting for?”
The goat darkner’s face flushes into a light scowl, “Stop trying to twist my words! We just recruit the darkners and give them a home here when we have to inevitably close their fountain.”
Susie crosses her arms, “We’d have done that for you guys too, but, uh…”
"I get it. No hard feelings, princess.”
"Susie, why don't you bring Queen and Tenna over? I doubt Flowery can make it up two flights of stairs… like this,” Ralsei suggests as he offers a reluctant hand to him. Gee, if Flowery weren't so kind, he'd be hurt by Raly’s continued aversion to him.
“Yeah, sure!"
In the wake of Susie's departure, the prince of the dark helps Flowery hobble along to the cafe, waving at all sorts of darkners milling about. His expression tells of a question on his tongue he won't ask, always beating about the bush.
So Flowery prods him instead, "What is it, little guy? Something on your mind?”
Ralsei startles a little, eyes flickering to the bandages around his torso. Ah, right, "Don't worry about me, Raly, I'll be just fine." He teaches over to tousle the boy’s fur, a little surprised at the lack of resistance or frown, “Just focus on yourselves and your adventures, okay?”
Ralsei does eventually, and gently, push his arm away.
The music filling the castle rumbles loudest in the cafe, "Looks like everything's back to normal,” Ralsei points out.
Flowery can't help but jump start a teasing remark, "You're the royalty of this place and can't even manage it yourself? Oh Raly, you're just too sof—” he splutters at the yellow fabric wrapping around his face.
Humbled, Flowery hobbles over to an empty seat. He sighs at the relief of no longer carrying his own weight (something that was as easy as breathing yesterday). The cane sits by his chair, just waiting finger's reach.
“You're A New Face Where’d You Come From." The robotic voice of a sleek looking darkner greets. Flowery looks up to meet with a visor of black. He stares.
"Oh, Queen, you're here! Susie was just about to get you to meet Flowery,” Ralsei's furrowed brow immediately brightens into a more genuine smile, lighting up his face like a campfire. Flowery thinks that's a bit rude.
He brushes it off in favour of reaching for Queen's hand, accidentally brushing away his cane that clatters, “Pleasure to meet you, my Queen," he presses a chaste kiss on her hand.
Queen watches curiously at the golden flower blooming from her hand, “Woah That Was Weird. Anyways Nice To Meet You." She looks down at his midriff, face falling into an ‘o’, " Woah You Look Crippled.”
The words jab him right where it hurts. Ralsei splutters, "Q-Queen!”
“No worries Raly," he brushes it off - quite literally, sweeping his hair to the side, "I just had a nasty encounter recently, is all. I'm as fine as bamboo!” he tries getting up to prove it only for his body to violently reject with a stab of pain. The cane is too far out of reach.
Queen studies him curiously while he pitifully attempts to reach for the walking stick, "My Computer Is Detecting An Anomaly: You Are Not A Darkner.”
"Nope, a little different from that,” Ralsei takes pity on him, hanging the cane over with a tired sigh, "I'm a flower. Flowery the flower. Blood type: SSS. Golden eyes.”
Queen stares, pleasantly surprised, "Cool Voice Clips,” she says.
"Why thank you.”
Ralsei nutters under his breath about missing the menu config, much to Flowery's amusement.
The already bustling cafe gains a new guest that drinks up a moderate amount of attention in the form of the doors opening rather loudly. Flowery finds himself staring at the rather tall darkner made up of a red vest and TV head?
“Hey guys!" Susie waves. The darkner behind her stares intensely at Flowery, “Couldn't find Queen."
“She's already here." Ralsei gestures to the spot Queen had occupied seconds ago, “Or… was right here. I guess she's getting another drink."
“You're…" the TV darkner finally speaks up, shrinking the closer he gets to them, "You're Asgore's… flowers?”
The tone of his voice: the meek curiosity; the melancholy; the way he sheepishly and unsurely shuffles his hands, a nervous grin on his face. Even Susie looks surprised at his response.
“Dude, you good? I thought you'd be more excited."
“I am!" The TV snaps a little too quick, “I just… I…"
Flowery blinks. This must be Tenna. Tenna. The name is still familiar. And so is the red of his vest.
“... I didn't know they could be… sentient. This whole time,” TV head finishes quietly.
Flowery frowns, "Do I… do I know you?"
The TV darkner hesitates. Susie answers for him, "Well, kinda. This is Tenna, he's Kris’s old TV.”
It suddenly hits him like an epiphany.
The big television the kids would clamour around daily, glued to its fuzzy screen. The red cloth Toriel lovingly knitted for “Mr. Tenna." All the times the Holidays gathered in the living room for Christmas. As flowers, they'd watch from above.
“... Kris used to call you Tenna. That's where your name came from," he whispers as the memories flood him. He hasn't thought about the Dreemurr household in many years…
Tenna perks up, “Yeah! And you were the wedding bouquet, right? Asgore watered you daily. You were always on the sunny windowsill above me." He grows a little bigger, tense shoulders loosening at Flowery's recognition.
“I'm just one of the flowers. The rest are safe at the shop," he corrects, still a little dazed.
"Right! I see!” They fall into awkward silence. Flowery stares at the floor. Tenna nervously shuffles. Susie and Ralsei look at them weirdly.
“Uh….you guys good?”
Tenna shoots upright as if a bolt lances through him, “Yes! Of course! In fact, I'm very excited to meet one of Asgore's flowers! I'm actually kind of surprised they're still alive and kicking! Haha!"
Flowery tries to play along, offering a hand, “As am I! It's certainly been a while,” Tenna takes it hesitantly. The hand shake is very stilted, almost painful to watch for both parties, "It's nice to finally meet… you, I suppose.”
Susie burrows her brow, a hand on her chin, "Wait, so like, you guys didn't know each other before? Even though you lived in the same house?”
Flowery hums, "Well, I'm not a darkner like him. Just like you don't meet any darkners until a dark fountain is opened, it's the same for me.”
“Oooh," Susie nods, “So this you guys’s first time meeting for real."
"... Yes,” Tenna finishes. He looks like he has a lot of questions threatening to burst from his mouth. Flowery has some too.
“So, how come you're here and not at the Dreemurr household? Don't tell me old Toriel abandoned you too,” even if he was an old TV, the last Flowery saw Tenna was beloved and always watched. A lot had changed it seemed, in the time he was gone.
And somehow, some of the people still haven't.
Tenna flinches, nervous smile twisting into a painted scowl, "You—!”
“Hey! Don't say that! She doesn't know," Susie snaps before Tenna can get a word in.
That doesn't stop the TV darkner from retorting, “She didn't—she’s not abandoning me! I just. Wanted a new home and new viewers! Besides, Asgore's the one that left and ruined everything!”
“Well, it's not like he wanted to. It's more like he was forced to," the words come out strained through a gritted smile, a burning pit bubbling in his guts. They taste like ash.
Tenna's arms come up to hold himself, "... And you know why,” he says quietly, so vulnerable that it plows right through his bandages to hit him deep.
He does know why. He witnessed it again in the dark fountain. There was nothing he could do to stop it. Asgore's obsession, the way he pushed them all aside, until all they could do was fight for him and their world.
Asgore didn't really love them. Not the way they loved him. He loved Toriel. Or he used to. And he still did. He didn't love them because they weren't his real family, no matter what they did—what Flowery did to emulate the better times.
The thought hits him so suddenly he feels like throwing up. It digs inside his fragile innards like a sharp, razor black sword.
“Woah What's Going On Here.” Obnoxiously long-lasting sipping interrupts the quiet. Queen, drink in hand, seems impervious to the many states sent her way.
Lancer chimes in, "Hey! Since you're both from Kris’s family does that make you brothers?!”
Tenna splutters as Flowery startles, “Wha—NO WAY! I'd never wanna be related to this guy!" Tenna gestures to Flowery as a whole, disdain on his screen.
Flowery scowls back a little, “Likewise," he tries putting on a smug, charming smile through the turmoil still playing on loop, but it has cracks and holes everywhere that feel like a leak into his messy emotions.
He needs to be alone for a bit. Somewhere quiet, where music can't stifle the jumble he can't even parse, where there aren't so many people closing in on him.
He stands up, “Well, since that conversation’s over, I'm gonna go ahead and take my leaf," he hobbles past Tenna who abstains from looking at his hunched form.
"Hey! Where are you gonna go? You gonna go back already?” Susie asks. A glance in her direction churns a mix of guilt and shame for dragging such an awful expression on her face.
“Just going to find a quiet place for some fresh air, princess," his smile keeps cracking.
Ralsei follows after him. He says nothing, just carries a quiet expression in his face.
Flowery lets him. He follows the prince out of the cafe, mouth glued shut, head swarming and empty at all once.
"... What was that? You never break composure. You're always…" Ralsei looks back curiously, expression open for once.
Flowery smirks, "Charming?”
At Ralsei's scarf hanging threateningly over him, Flowery drops the act, “... I don't know. I got…” upset, over a realisation so sudden that explained everything. That made him feel stupid. That made his ideal world a joke. That made his dream so hollow.
Asgore never really loved them, did he? He said it himself. He was just playing along. And Flowery was desperate enough to drink it up without thinking. What a fool he must have looked like.
And what is he without that wish? The others; Blue, Yellow, Green, Orange, Seth, Aqua, they all had dreams of their own, but what did Flowery have? He only wanted to make Asgore happy. He wanted the flowers to live out their short lives to the fullest.
But Flowery didn't get to do that. All that affection he threw Asgore's way, all the safety nets and food and dinners and mixtapes and money: Asgore hadn't really wanted any. Did Asgore know his love? Did he accept it? Did he treasure it? Would he ever? He's gone now…
“We're here," Flowery's head snaps up. Tears prickle his eyes, tears he roughly wiped away before Ralsei can see.
The room he leads them to is small, green everywhere, cozy, and lived in.
"Uhm, everywhere else in the castle is really loud, so, I'm willing to let you rest in mine for a bit. Here,” the prince guides Flowery to his bed.
It's soft, plush, like sinking into a cloud. Flowery says onto it immediately, exhaustion catching up to him, "Thank you, princess," he says weakly, “So this is your room, huh…”
Ralsei's face scrunches unlike he expects a mean remark, which Flowery will happily provide, “Didn't expect it to be so full of you. I thought it'd be empty, save for a breeze."
The darkner blushes, hiding his expression in the torn, ugly, faded yellow scarf, “It was… but my friends convinced me otherwise."
Flowery smiles. What wonderful friends Raly has. He's sure the prince will be okay, “It's a nice room."
Ralsei waits like he's expecting, but looking at Flowery's wistful expression, he smiles instead, "Thanks.” He gets up from his seat on the cushion floor, "I'll .. let you rest for now. I'll check up on you later.”
Flowery gives a wave, eyes drooping, "Much appreciated, princess.”
The door closes with a gentle click, leaving him in utter silence, save for the breeze flowing through curtains.
He should rest for a bit. All that walking and talking has taken almost everything he has. He tries not to compare himself to yesterday, to look at how truly pitiful he's become. He's more useless and powerless than he's ever been.
It's frustrating. It hurts more than the wounds themselves. It hurts.
To think Asgore didn't love them the way they did. But he can't deny it, can he? He'd never cared about the world they'd so painstakingly built for him. He reminisced about the past and when Flowery tried to serve him that Inna silver platter, it was ignored.
Asgore missed his real family, not them. He was delusional to ever think so.
—
Flowery awakes to a knock on the door. He blinks through the hazy fuzz of sleep, slowly lifting him, careful not to aggravate his wounds, “Yes?"
The door opens a creak, familiar red peeking through, “Uh, Hey there! Did I. Interrupt something?"
It's Tenna's static-filled voice. Flowery frowns.
“Just a short nap, that's all." He says through a yawn, wincing at the pain from stretching.
Tenna makes haste to try and leave. “Right, sorry, I'll. Come by later!"
“Wait."
Both of them freeze. Flowery called out without thinking. He continues without really thinking about it, “I… wouldn't mind company right now."
Although slow to do so, Tenna does enter Ralsei's room. He's much smaller, somewhere around Flowery's height, maybe a little taller. He stands awkwardly at the door, rocking on the balls of his shoes.
Flowery fiddles with his cane.
“... I suppose our last conversation got a bit… heated,” he starts unsurely, keeping Tenna's expression in the corner of his eyes, "I'm… sorry.”
"It's… it's okay! I uh… I came to ask about. Asgore, actually,” Tenna stops rocking. He stands very still, face dark.
Flowery looks away.
"Is he… how is he?” Tenna asks desperately. He looks up with a strained smile, "I haven't… really seen him in years. Toriel never spoke about him either. So I don't really know…” the darkner picks at his gloves, stretching and twisting the fabric, voice cracking, "I mean, he must be well! If you're doing, uh, kind of okay after all these years. Right?”
Flowery hugs his midriff, a chill crawling up his spine.
Asgore's horror still haunts him.
“He's… he's gone," the words wade their way out of his mouth through a swamp of guilt, a lump he can't swallow, “I failed him."
“He's… what?" Tenna steps closer, like he's hoping he just heard Flowery wrong, "What what do you mean?"
He can still remember it so clearly, “The Knight kidnapped him. I couldn't do a thing to stop them."
Tenna's expression drops.
"I'm just a useless, weak flower, after all. I can't do a thing." Bitterness sleeps from his gut to his voice.
“The… the Knight got him?”
Flowery looks at Tenna, at his dawning horror, and the way he hands cradle his arms; his shoulders, where a mix of messy and neat seams hold the fabric together, "Were you…?”
He doesn't need to ask.
"... They made a deal with me,” Tenna begins, " No one had been watching me for years. They promised me if I… if I kept Toriel hostage, I'd have all the viewers I could ever want.”
"And—" a hysterical laugh slips from him, "And how could I deny? Because—it was Kris, good ole Kris who asked me on the Night's behalf.”
Flowery frowns deeper. Kris has opened the fountain in their father's shop. Kris had also fought tooth and nail to close that fountain, to get to their father.
“The Knight before… they made the deal. They turned me on just to make a deal. To keep her safe. I did everything I could! The Knight was late but I kept improvising, and then I got desperate and—" he cuts off on a choked noise, screen turning to static, “Susie convinced me to give her back. She promised she'd find someone new, even if Toriel and Kris wouldn't watch me anymore. But the Knight… before I could reward them, the Knight…"
Flowery sighs sympathetically, “... I see,” Kris was simultaneously putting their family in danger and fighting tooth and nail to save them. He didn't get them. He didn't trust them. He hoped they'd be alright.
“... How is… Toriel?”
Tenna startles as Flowery's question, "H-huh?”
"How is… or was she?” he hasn't seen her in years. He's only heard of the old version of her Asgore loved so dearly.
"She… she's doing okay. Mostly.”
Flowery hums.
“But she's still struggling, by herself. And with how different Kris is… I wished I could have done more. If I wasn't so useless,” Tenna's voice turns syrupy as his statue shrinks, “I tried, but I had nothing good to give."
Flowery smiles bitterly, “At least you had something to give. As flowers, we couldn't do a thing…”
“You're not useless. Just being flowers gave Asgore the strength to keep going.”
The burning feeling turns warm, softer, at Raly’s words, “I guess… maybe we weren't so useless. So it's not a fair comparison.”
Tenna takes a seat next to him, after some silence, “... What did you… think of Kris?”
What did he think? There was a lot. He didn’t really believe their drive to keep their father safe at first. They wouldn’t have made a fountain otherwise, right? They’ve made more than one.Isn’t that antithetical to the prophecy that claims them a hero?
He didn’t get them. But he wanted to believe.
“They’ve changed a lot, since I last saw them.”
“Ha! You’re telling me,” Tenna’s face alights with a nostalgic smile, “They used to be so mischievous and fun loving. But they stopped all that… Now I can’t even get a good read on them. I couldn’t tell if they enjoyed my boards. I just… wanted to make them smile again.”
A pang resonates from his heart. He keeps it tucked away, hiding the memory of Asgore’s smile as he watered them.
“I didn’t know what their plan was. I just didn’t trust their motives around their father.”
Tenna startles dramatically, “What?! Are you saying you think they wanted Asgore hurt?!”
Not hurt, but… “I don’t know. If they wanted to keep him safe, they wouldn’t have made the dark fountain, surely. Then the Knight wouldn’t have come.”
The TV darkner falls quiet, staring at his hands, “... They asked me to keep Toriel safe.”
“Well, maybe they love their mother more after the divorce,” Asgore’s family have always been distant with him after the divorce.
“But… surely, not enough to get him kidnapped. They’re a good kid,” Tenna announces firmly, “They wouldn’t wish harm on others.”
Flowery hums unsurely, trying to compare the wriggly kid with plastic horns against the lacklustre, quiet teenager. It’s hard to see a resemblance, beyond physical appearances.
“It…” Tenna starts and stops, nervously wringing his hands, “It must have been nice… being cared for all these years. Even if you couldn’t repay him back,” Flowery can hear the jealousy through the static coating of his voice, “You know, they… they stopped watching me completely, at some point. It’s hard to remember but, no one would turn me on anymore. I got dusty. They even unplugged me at one point, haha…”
Flowery can’t imagine what that must have been like. Tenna is a permanent object unlike Flowery. Flowery wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Asgore. Tenna didn’t need someone the way they did, but that didn't mean he didn't want someone.
“All I wanted to do was pay him back for his kindness, all these years,” watching his starve and sleep alone in the cold, as his money ran out but his kindness never did, except it wasn’t really directed at them, “But I think… all this time, he kept us alive out of loyalty for Toriel. We owe him everything for keeping us alive. We’re a symbol of his love for her. But I don’t know if we were loved.”
Tenna stays quiet, screen dark.
“I believed at first. I thought I could make him love us the way he loved them. I was so sure… because he cared so diligently for us, all this time. But everything I tried, I don’t think… he cared much for it, heh. He was more interested in the Dark world. And he said it himself. He was just playing along.”
“... I wanted her to love me like she loved Kris and Azzie. I wanted her to hold me when things were tough.”
“... I wish he’d spent some more time with us. We all waited so long.”
Both of them chained to a lightner, chained by a distant love they could never understand, except mayne Flowery was lucky enough to have Asgore understand, even just a little.
“I think I’ll take care of them for myself, from now on.”
Tenna didn’t have that kind of reassurance.
Flowery pats his shoulder, offering him a smile, “Don’t worry newbuddy. You’ll find someone who appreciates you soon.”
Pink dusts rhe TV’s screen, “... Thanks, pal.” He grows a little in size, holding his hand, “Hey! You’ve technically never watched TV before, right?”
Flowery shrugs slowly, weary of his aching midriff.
“Isn’t there anything you’d like to watch? Just give me a genre and I’ll look for it!”
“Uh…” what did he want to watch? He knew what Yellow would want, and Blue too. Orange and Aqua could be easily pacified by a cartoon. Seth would find interest in documentaries, and Green would enjoy the cooking channel.
… He should ask Susie to bring them over, just for a little bit. They would survive, unlike him, but they'll be horribly lonely without Asgore or their human bodies.
“I don't know about me, but could you do me a favour?"
Tenna brightens up, “Of course!"
“I'll ask Susie to bring the other flowers if she can. Could you put on some shows for them?”
The darkner claps his hands together, “I'd be happy to! How many new viewers? What kind of shows do they like?” He shuffles closer on excited feet, toes bounding on the floor.
Flowery smiles, thinking of his beloved family, "Aqua and Orange are quite young, so cartoons would probably placate them. But Aqua likes knives, so anything a bit gory might pick her interests."
“Wha—” Tenna's smile falls a bit flat.
"Yellow would absolutely love any cowboy shows."
Tenna pulls out fingers guns, his outfit now a cowboy’s with a single flick of his hands, “Gotcha!"
“Blue would like anything to do with ballerina. Any dance shows too. Maybe soap dramas would entertain him."
Suddenly up on his feet, Tenna spins on his feet, “You can ‘leaf’ that to me! Ey?"
Flowery chuckles a little, “Seth would like documentaries. They're diligent in learning lots. And Green would appreciate cooking shows for sure.”
"Just like Tori, huh?” Tenna gives him a big thumbs up, “I'll have all types of game shows ready for them!”
"Much appreciated, newbuddy.”
"And,” the TV starts seriously, “Next time you come, I'll make sure to have something for you too!"
Flowery blinks. Then, he smiles, “Thanks Tenna."
Maybe things were looking up a bit.