Smiling faces, and the feeling of cold. Chocolate cake, a hug, empty feeling. Being tucked in, by...Toriel? That was...her mother, then? Chara blinked, wondering...how she had forgotten her own mother? The realization was bitter in taste, and unwelcome.
When the onslaught of recollections faded, she glanced around. Noting her status as...not impaled to death. Still feeling phantoms from the experience of dying. Recalling the ability to RESET, that if she died, she would just...restart. The specifics a bit lost on her, still fuzzy. At least, for now.
Recalling her general confusion and fear before dying made her cringe. "That was unfortunate."
Chara got to her feet, happy to see the bleeding head wound didn't remain this time around. Turning her attention to the door leading out. She was...going to end up running into Toriel again, even if she didn't move. And given what happened the last time, she felt dubious. The burns, although gone, briefly flaring up in her memory, as she shivered.
The child muttered to herself. Something had to be done. Searching her thoughts, she found one. Something they'd done together. Maybe...it would help, somehow? Hopefully?
With that thought she knelt down, and picked a few of the flowers there. All the while stealing glances at the door. Just in case, her mother, or that strange flower came looking.
It was odd to her though, even now she could barely remember Toriel. The woman didn't look the same, her clothes were darker, and she wore layered robes with a hood. Her eye looked hurt...and she was so angry. Had Toriel always been that angry, and she just hadn't noticed?
A little tug on the necklace, arranged from golden flowers linked together. She had vaguely recalled telling Mychal about these. That she had made them with her mother...at some point.
Pulling it over her head, and around her neck, she sighed. It didn't really add much for defense in a literal sense. And yet the possibility of defense, the possibility that perhaps it would keep Toriel from trying to burn her alive, made her appreciate it.
Chara equipped 'Flower Necklace'
With that present and accounted for, she sighed. Starting forward, towards the next room. Passing through the door, each step, annoyingly loud. Tap, tap, tap. Did it always echo like that?
In the next room, like the time before, the flower was present. Only now, he wasn't facing away from her, but at her directly. The girl pausing her steps, examining the strange little monster, which was examining her with similar hesitation.
"Greetings." She said, taking a step closer.
The flower lacked its previous scary face, or early aggression. "Oh...you're back, heh...awfully determined, ain't ya?" It smiled hopefully. "Well...maybe, you're not freaking out yet so...do you remember me?"
Her green shirt contrasted all the red, black, and withering golden flowers of the room. Eyes closing, searching memory. She could recall golden flowers, but none capable of speech, save for the previous encounter. She wondered briefly why she wasn't really afraid of the concept. Just...off-put by it slightly.
"I do." She noted, as he smiled, before adding. "You're the scary flower, who chased me to death."
"W-what...no, I mean, before that?" The flower huffed.
"Then my apologies, I don't recall meeting you before that." She stated.
"Okay...well...that's alright..." The Flower paused in thought. "Well, I'm uh...I'm Flowey. Flowey the Flower." He let out a nervous chuckle. "And...sorry about the uh, chase."
Chara examined the flower. It didn't appear all that intimidating, now that she had some memories to go off of. She briefly wondered why she had been concerned with it at all. Crouching down, and getting closer.
"Greetings again, Flowey." She told him. "And...I forgive you. Sort of my bad for running off like a scaredy cat anyways." She thumped one of his petals. "Don't even know why I was afraid?" She smirked. "Especially of you."
Flowey winced from the thump, but ignored it. "About that, listen, you can't just run off into the ruins. They're dangerous, I-I mean, clearly, cuz you..well, you clearly got hurt last time."
"Yeah, guess that whole watch where you set thing was good advice." She managed a devious smile, snickering some. "Luckily though, I think I got the point."
There was no sound, aside from Chara snickering to herself. With her 'devious smile' looking a lot more silly and pointless. Flowey blinking, staring, thinking, and just...processing it.
"Was that a pun?" The flower grumbled, as she laughed more earnestly in response. "Chara...ugh, whatever look, you need to be careful." He stated, trying to be serious. "The caretaker of the ruins is up ahead, and if she-"
"You mean Toriel?" Chara inquired. "Dude...she's my mom, and burned me last time, remember?" She began to consider something. "Also...how do you-"
"Wait so you remember Toriel, but you don't remember me?" Flowey asked in frustration. "Are you really even here right now?" In response to this, she flicked him again. "O-ow, hey-" He huffed. "I...point taken."
"Well, what did you mean?" She inquired. "Where else would I be?"
"Nevermind that-" He glanced away from her. "Do you...at least remember how you got here?" He glanced over her green shirt. "And...who gave you that awful shirt?"
Thinking on his inquiries, she glanced at the room she had come from. The place had a degree of deja vu around it. Beyond the obvious experience of having literally just been there. Searching her mind, there was something...mutterings perhaps? Crying...running...Toriels voice.
"Well...I think Mom and me came here." She suggested, the Flower getting a notably defeated look. "Can't remember why-" She recalled people yelling. "It's strange...were we...running from people?"
The Flower gave her a dubious look. "Do you have the urge to eat people?"
Chara stared for a moment. "No. Why would I wanna eat people?"
"Never know, coulda been a zo-" Flowey trailed off. "Look we're getting away from the point. You can't be here, in like, a lot of ways." He scratched a petal with his leaf. "And definitely not around Toriel. If uh...well, she'll wind up killing you again. Get it?"
"You think she killed me?" Chara asked, huffing. "I didn't get killed by uhm...mom. I fell, and, maybe hit some spikes." She recalled her earlier thought. "Wait a minute, how do you even know about resetting, hmmm, flower-boy?"
"Oh, well I uh-" He began hesitantly, as she thumped him again. "h-hey, stop doing that!"
"Also, you don't know anything about her!" Chara declared. "She wouldn't kill me...I-I mean...she did hurt me, but-" She searched her mind. "that was a mistake. I think?"
"Huh, look, I'm not trying to be-" He began as the child got up. "W-where are you going?"
"I'm going to check on my mom." Her tone threatening, despite feeling...cold. "She seemed upset, and really not well. So-"
Her steps inspired dread in the flower, which let out a series of protesting noises, before diving into the soil. Bursting out in front of her, much to her surprise. Prompting a step back, as he sighed.
"Okay, just hold on a second." Flowey requested. "Look I uh, didn't mean to sound rude. But you're clearly are a little out of it." The plant noted. "And so is she, for that matter. Which is just..." The flower looked near a mental breakdown. "I-i-it's just a bad idea, okay?"
"Why do you care?" She demanded in annoyance.
"I just-" He thought for a moment. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Ugh...listen here, petals, I appreciate the concern." She smiled an off smile, making the flower shiver. "But you aren't...stopping me."
As she was moving to walk past him, Flowey stared with dread, before shaking it off. He dove into the dirt, and the moved over in front of her. Popping out of the ground to block her path again, while she gave him a look of irritation.
"Chara seriously!" Flowey laughed nervously. "This world is Kill or be Killed, and you've already died!" He noted, hyperventilating. "Doesn't that bother you?"
Putting on a smile, she responded. "Look, at first I was a scaredy cat. But, I can't...just stay here." She noted. "Besides, she's probably looking for me anyways?"
The flowers look softened and became a frown. "I...I don't know that she is Chara." She shot the flower a dirty look and began to walk again. "Just a second, look...I see I can't talk you out of this...so-" He thought for a moment, and suggested. "why don't I come with you?"
"Pardon?" She asked.
Flower suddenly realized what a wise idea this actually was. Despite looking absolutely terrified at the prospect. He put on his most confident smile.
"W-well think about it." He suggested. "I can tag along, make sure...you don't get hurt. I'm, well, I'm not very tough, but neither are you...so...together we'd at least be, kinda strong?"
Chara listened to this sales pitch. It was pretty terrible. The flower clearly knew it. She pondered if she should trust the monster. It was strange to her, how familiar he was. Though she was positive she didn't know him, despite him knowing her. Maybe it was just a memory she hadn't, well, remembered yet?
She sighed. "Alright, fine. And hey, could be neat right?" She smiled a little. "Always wanted a pet."
"Neat?" Flowey got an off look. "W-wait, pet?" He huffed. "I-I'm not a-"
"Oh c'mon, no pouting, it'll be great. I mean, it was your idea." Chara noted in amusement, as the flower stammered. "Sides, I think..." She trailed off. "Well I uh...there's someone I know-" She could vaguely recall a boy. "and I'm sure he'd love to meet you."
"Wait, who-" Flowey paused. "Ahh, right uhm, well, huh-" He let out a huff. "Hey, look...I'll be up ahead. If anything starts going wrong...just yell, and uh, I'll be there. Alright?"
"So you're gonna do that-" She began, as the Flower suddenly sank into the dirt. "Hey, Flowey you can't just bail mid conversation, you nerd!" She remarked before sighing. "No strategy or anything...thanks, partner."
She sighed, while wandering through the door.