scapegoat tale belongs to the-sleepless-ghostly-being (ffn) or thesleepyghosty (da)
"Hey, Az?" they asked, voice soft and barely heard by the prince.
"Yes, Chara?" He smiled, but connection is severed between his mouth and his eyes.
Those eyes were dull, lined with the starry tears.
"You know how much I love the buttercups, don't you?"
"How could I?" he replied. "Do you want me to bring you a-"
"No." Their eyes held a faraway, wistful look. "Please make sure Dad takes care of them?"
"He is now." It's a lie. Asriel can't bring himself to tell Chara that their favorite garden that they cared for with all their heart is being torn up by weeds.
"And... And, Az..?" Chara coughed weakly.
"Chara?"
"Make sure, when you bury me..."
Asriel wanted to shout at them that wasn't going to happen - ever. He finds his tongue won't work.
"When you bury me... Set some of them near me? Maybe even in twenty-fours."
They laughed softly.
"Az, can you come here?"
"Yes?" His voice wavers.
"Az... Az..."
Asriel watched Chara's eyes close with that goddamn smile still on their lips.
"Good things always come in twenty-fours, don't they?"
"Y-Yes, Chara..."
"Maybe that's why I can see twenty-four of you..?"
Asriel didn't have anything to say.
He just watched them sink into the pillow, sink like they did into the Underground.
Sink like his heart.