Hey Everyone!

Interference in bold, puns and memories in italics, magic is underlined.

-text- indicates either texts, or mental "talking".

All Undertale stuff owned by Toby Fox, else me.

The Annoying Dog has made an appearance!...you get Dog Song stuck in your head.

Texts between Frisk and Sans

-so, Lazybones, why is Dad-Goat texting me to ask you what's up?-

-um, no reason…-

-Uncle Sans.:|-

-really, everything's totally fine here.-

-Sans.-

-your sister got into a fight with bullies.-

-...okay why?-

-...really? no threats, no furious calls to the school, no-

-bullies were picking on another kid, weren't they.-

-...yeah…?-

-Sans. do I need to sick Undyne on you?-

-...fine, i'll talk. she told me she stepped in to stop it and got beat up. did stop it.-

-And you heard this when? Dad-Goat said you called him, thought you had class. :\-

-she called me.-

-Azzy wants to know if that's called with her phone or something else.-

-...-

-Kay. Do we need to drive over there and intimidate some bullies?-

-tibia honest, driving over would help, though the bullies are probably scared to the bone of her already. she, uh...well...psychoanalysed them. sorta.-

-LOL that's great! We'll be there Thursday night. Snory's out for the day, and everyone else will be fine with one missed class. TTYL-

-paps will be disappointed in you for skipping class.-

-Don't use him as a threat! One spaghetti night and he'll be fine...They still make horrible spaghetti here.-

-noted.-

Asriel

The ride to Ebott is great, only a few hours on the highway today. Thursday traffic is the best traffic, and Frisk found this cool group from out Boulder way that has the coolest tunes...I think it's called FACE? Yeah, that's what's on the cd. I don't normally like this vocal stuff, but they've gotta coupla great ones. I will fervently deny any accusations of singing along. Frisk, on the other hand…

We stop by to see old Gerson and get some supplies...okay, mostly to gossip. He's the basically the town crier! We'd never hear the end of it if we don't stop by. The store's pretty empty, although there's some red hair sticking out from behind the counter, so his partner's kiddo's probably here. Coupla tourists in the back are the only other people there.

"Woah there! If it isn't the Prince! And who is this squinty monster you've brought today?"

I roll my eyes. He always does this, "Golly, Gerson, don't cha recognise the Monster Ambassador?"

He scrunches up his eyes in feigned near-sightedness, "Why, you're right! Wa ha ha! Now, what was their name again?" Golly, impress the kiddo day, how - I will not behave like a murderous flower, I will not behave like a murderous flower, I will not-

"I am Frisk the Determined! Solver of puzzles, rescuer of princes, friend-maker extraordinaire; hundreds have lost to my perfectly-timed flirting attacks!" Golly, she's the cutest ever! I love it when she does this. That pose, that glint in her eye...okay, I sound ridiculous...did I just Flowey myself? Really?

"Ah, is that so? Then I, the infamous Hammer of Justice, cannot help but wonder - would you dare to accept a challenge from me?" The two tourists in the souvenir section have given up pretending not to be interested and are pulling out their phones. Golly, don't they bother to read the signs? I grab the 'no videos without permission from Dad-gore' sign from it's hook by the door and hold it up like a wrestling showgirl. I really feel like an idiot.

Frisk pulls out her classic battle pose, and the ENCOUNTER begins.

FIGHT!

* Gerson, the Hammer of Justice. His long lifespan has been filled with stories and gossip.

Frisk peruses her options, and selects '*Pose dramatically'

*The audience appears to be enjoying this.

"I'm sure you remember these old things," Frisk maintains her pose through a round of blue attacks.

*Don't get too comfortable.

Frisk's face changes - oh great, she's going to FLIRT.

*The veteran winks roguishly at you. His eye twinkles.

"Woah there! Aren't you cocky? I haven't even warmed up yet," A series of orange hammers pound around an ever-moving Frisk.

*Training with Fluffybuns has served you well.

Frisk pirouettes, hand landing lightly on '*Trivia'

*3 out of 4 rocks recommend you push them. The fourth one gives you gip.

"Now, you might think I'm going easy on you. You'd be right," Blue and orange mix in an elegant dance, Frisk never missing a step. I hope nobody notices me blushing.

*Stay determined! You're almost there.

Another FLIRT. I am so glad Alphys just taught her how to make that a button. She never used the FIGHT one anyway.

*You blow a kiss at the audience. It is very effective.

"Wa ha ha!" She flirted with me! IN FRONT OF GERSON! SHE FLIRTED WITH ME! Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be paying attention, right?

*Gerson is impressed.

0 EXP, 0 G

I try to bury my head in my paws as Gerson and Frisk take their bows. She...actually flirted with me. What if he noticed, what if he tells Mom, what if-

"Woah there, young Asriel. No need to worry your head off. This old monster's kept a lot of secrets over the years, and I ain't about to break that record now. Wa ha ha!" I look up into his beaming face, "Fact is, I've had my suspicions about this for years. Probably known it was going to happen since before you did. Wa ha ha! I'm not about to tell the Queen and ruin it for you two. Course, if you were about to offer to sign a few photos for me to sell, now, I wouldn't stop you...no, I see you're still worried about it."

He scratches his head as I try to beat down the Flowey-instinct of distrust. C'mon, Azzy, you're you, the fluffy goat crybaby who happens to be Prince of Monsters! Gerson's not gonna betray you, right?... He kneels down next to me, moving slowly. When he speaks, it's a whisper pitched so no one but me can hear, "I know! How about a little exchange. You promise to get me an introduction to this new human I've been hearing about, and I promise not to tell Toriel you're dating the Ambassador. Seems fair enough."

I feel the Flowey thoughts analyzing this for weak spots and tricks...reluctantly, I nod. I can do that, and even if it's not a fair trade, I seem to be ending up on top. As long as I don't arrange the meeting, he won't tell Mom, which gives Frisk all the time they need to work up to it on their own. I smile, trying not to let too much Flowey into it, "You gotcha self a bargain!"

He winks, then stands, and I rush to my feet when I remember I should be helping him. He gives me a wink when Frisk tilts her head at us from her seat on the counter. Our bargain's gonna be a secret, huh? Golly, this is exciting!...I need to get some sleep soon. Frisk seems to pick up on my internal struggle, because she's up in a flash and dragging me out the door, waving to Gerson and the red-headed kid as we rush out the door. I can hear Gerson's 'Wa ha ha!' from across the parking lot.

"Want me to drive?" I turn, and she's looking worried. I hate it when she looks like that.

"No, I'm good. Need something to do. Today's a flower day," she nods, then pauses as she pulls open the car door.

"Can you handle Dad-Goat, or should I run interference?" I wince a little, but eventually decide on a thumbs up. S'not bad enough to avoid Dad when he'll be looking forward to seeing me. I can do this. She smiles at me and hops into the car.

Asgore

He and the magelet were seated on the front deck, enjoying the sunshine and a nice cup of tea. At least, he was enjoying them; he was finding Silver's expressions hard to read. She did not seem to react to much, although he was coming to enjoy making her giggle. She had mastered the art of the giggle. Now to work on another expression, like a smile, or curiosity. He thought she might be good at curiosity, once she got the hang of it.

The sun was shining down on his beautiful Golden Flowers. He admitted to himself that perhaps there was some magic in them, that even the coldest frost could not kill them, and their familiar blooms were always open. Human visitors during the winter were astonished at the ever-present flowers, always mentioning that 'that should not be possible' or 'those must be magic'. He was beginning to agree, although...perhaps it was not magic, but determination.

"...why are there so many flowers?" A quiet voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned; his companion of the hour was staring at him solemnly.

He thought for a moment about the best way to answer this, his sensitive ears picking up on the distant sounds of his son's car coming up the long drive, "Well, magelet, that is a complicated question. One way of answering it is that the flowers are beautiful to look at, so we like to plant them around us so that, when they bloom, we may admire them."

The car rounded the big bend, and he could tell Silver had heard it, "Another way of answering is that...well, I have always found solace in caring for my garden. It is a simple thing, watering the flowers, pruning the blossoms, fertilizing the soil, but I find myself losing all track of time when I am working here, and all my stresses seem to melt away."

Finally, the beat up hatchback pulled into the drive. He had tried to insist his children could buy a more recent car, but they had held firm that the car they took to college should be just as beat up as every other one there, so that they would not become too attached, and so that it would not be too easy of a target. He had meekly accepted this logic, "Another way is that, for flowers, they live a blessed life. There is always someone here to care for their needs, always someone to admire them, and in the most extreme of weather there is magic to bolster their health. What flower would not prosper in such circumstances?"

His son and Frisk came up the steps, bags over their shoulders and smiles upon their faces, "Heyla, sis!"

"...hi," Silver's face was suddenly buried in his fur. He frowned. Was she nervous of her sister? Frisk and Asriel seemed just as confused as he was.

"Howdy, kid. Something wrong?" She shivered against his side. He looked pleadingly at the children, and saw Frisk's face change into a mask of determination. They handed their bag to his son, whispering in his ear. His eyes widened, then he nodded vigorously, "I'm just gonna take these things inside, okay? Can I walk past you, or should I go through the downstairs door?"

The small hands clutching his arm lessened a little, then tugged. He tilted his ear over to her, and she whispered, "...downstairs?" He nodded, signaling his son. Why the child would startle so at the son she had grown so attached to before he left he could not understand, but if a temporary space between them would help her remain calm, he would not object...well, not out loud. He would just have to find a time to catch up with his son later this evening.

Frisk had edged their way over to the table, eyeing the pot of tea hungrily. He knew that expression, and smiled at the child who was as close as his own, "Frisk, would you like a cup of tea?"

Asriel

I drop Frisk's bag on the edge of her bed and trudge into my room, flopping on the bed in a fit of disgust. Of course the kid would pick up on my Floweyness, what idiot wouldn't? It was obvious I wasn't cut out to be anything other than a murder flower…

My eyes catch the flutter of a sticky note in the breeze from a vent. I didn't remember leaving one down there...I reach over to the yellow paper covered in Frisk's handwriting.

Asriel, stay determined!

If you turn into Flowey, you'll never get to tell Mom I stole your first kiss!

I blush. Oh, yeah. That had happened. I can still remember the taste of salt on her lips and the terror that one of our friends would open the door to this classroom. It was prom night, and I'd been stepped on twice, my pant leg had caught in the car door, I'd gotten the drinks of three separate Brat Club Blondes dumped on my suit, and everything had felt like one big conspiracy to ruin this night. Frisk had seen my expression and pulled me past the keen eyes of the chaperones - former Sentries and Royal Guards who doubled as stress relief for the nerdier kids. Greater Dog had a horde of teenagers and was rapidly maxing out his pet quotient for the night. When we'd finally found some silence, I'd broken down in tears, the arms of my best friend wrapped around me. This night was supposed to be amazing, and it felt like a train wreck. When the sobs finally died down, I'd looked up, ready to apologize for ruining her outfit, and seen the determination cross her face. Then she grabbed my head and kissed me. Suddenly, the night wasn't so terrible after all.

I roll over on the bed, note clutched to my chest. Flowey could never experience something like that...there were too many emotions, too many extremes. He'd have just disemboweled the Blondes and been done with it. Another sticky note is stuck to one of the stars on the ceiling. I stand on the bed, wobbling, and reach up.

yo, flowey.

you don't wanna have a bad time, do you?

then let asriel live his life.

sides, you never could've fixed the story of capricorn, could ya?

I remember that! Sans was giving one of his star talks, going through all the zodiac signs visible and telling their legends. When we got to Capricorn, Frisk started to pout, saying that Pan's mom shouldn't have run away like that, and it was stupid. I got worried, since it hadn't been that long since we'd broken out and they'd rescued, and I still wasn't sure if Frisk would, or could, RESET. I started frantically trying to think of a better story, and then I realised - we should come up with stories of our own! So I started babbling about how, since we'd gotten out of the Underground, and assigning stories to the stars was a sort of tradition up here, we should dedicate each of the zodiac signs to one of the heroes of the Underground. It wasn't as if we had to tell the humans, right? Dad could be Taurus, since from what Sans had said, he was kinda like that personality, and Sans should be Libra, since he was the Judge, and...I rambled for a bit, but people got pretty excited. Soon everyone was arguing over it, scribbling on paper and searching on their phones for more information. Frisk came over to me, an expression I know recognise as her 'devious' plastered on her face, and whispered in my ears that I should be Capricorn, since it was a goat. Sans heard her, somehow, and soon everyone was agreeing, and I was blushing, and Frisk was laughing, and it was great.

I fall back into the embrace of the pillows - again, Frisk loves pillows, and I had surrendered meekly. Concern for others, embarrassment, companionship, enthusiasm...so many things I could do that Flowey could not. I make a mental note to ask Sans when he had started adding sticky notes to my collection. Not that I'm angry, just...well, he is a major prankster. 'nuff said.

Yeah, I'm back. Flowey moment gone, sad moment poof, no more, bye bye. Asriel, Prince of Monsters, is back in business! Now to go explain to Silver...yeah, I think I'll stay down here a bit longer. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and when I pick it up, it's a text from Frisk.

-Thing explained, get up here. She won't go inside until she can apologize to you, thinks she upset you. Pretty worried, but if you're still all Flowey, I think I can stall.-

I sigh, and text back quickly.

-brt, Flowey's gone.-

I didn't even make it off the bed before she responded.

-m'kay. Love you Flower-Fur.-

I feel the edges of my smile trying to meet on the back of my head.

-You too-