"Why do you insist on burrowing around in the dirt everywhere you go? You'll ruin your complexion, and we can't have that for our grand debut now, can we?"
Flowey rolled his eyes, the first elevator was right behind him and all he wanted was to get up to the resort and out of the Hotland heat. While the robot didn't change his pace, Flowey's other traveling partner was hurrying towards him with that stupid old plant pot in his hands.
"YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO METTATON..." Papyrus - who was still wearing the remains of his party costume - panted while kneeling down to present the pot to Flowey. "HE KNOWS EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT SHOW BUSINESS AND BEING A STAR!"
Mettaton stopped behind the skeleton and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're friend is wise, you should listen to him."
Papyrus' eyes lit up with such starstruck delight that it was almost comical. "THANK YOU METTATON!"
"No problem darling~" The robot answered absently while removing his hand from the skeleton's shoulder.
Flowey stared at the pot and grumbled under his breath, then sighed and climbed inside. He hated his body and its lack of limbs, so having one of the few ways he COULD get around restricted was something he always tried to avoid. There were times when he tolerated it of course, but the very moment he could get out of the pot or jar he was in he would be gone... in this instance however, he begrudgingly had to admit that Mettaton had a point. Hotland and plants did not get along.
"See darling? Much better. I'm not sure how you expected to use the elevator like that anyway."
Flowey didn't bother explaining that he could have latched onto the underside of the car; he dug his roots into the moist soil and waited for Papyrus to stand back up so they could all move on. An elevator ride and short walk later, the three reached the plateau of cool air outside the resort... huh, that the note was still there, or maybe it was a new one?
"Welcome to the MTT resort, Hotland's premier hotel!" Mettaton announced, clapping his hands together in front of the glass double-doors.
Papyrus gazed up at the glitzy golden sign above him. "WOWIE! I'VE NEVER BEEN TO A FANCY HOTEL BEFORE!"
"Then you both must be dying to take a look around." Mettaton gestured at a small angular monster who grabbed the door handle and held it open for them. "Come inside. I'll give you the exclusive, VIP tour."
Papyrus followed eagerly, glancing around at everything as they entered the red and gold tiled lobby.
Mettaton rolled across to the fast food place and held his arms out wide. "This is the MTT burger emporium, where we serve fast food at high prices! That's how you know it's star quality. Or, if you're more inclined towards finer dining then the hotel restaurant might be more your..."
Blah blah blah...
The robot went around the room, explaining the purpose of every door and corridor and complimenting any staff member he came across. Flowey paid very little attention, the sales spiel had gotten old fast.
"... And of course the centerpiece of the room, this antique fountain! Did you know it's been here for nearly a hundred years? It's looking a bit drab, so we're planning to spruce it up by adding the visage of yours truly. A little glamour would really help tie the place together, don't you think?"
"DEFINITELY! WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE YOUR BISHONEN GOOD LOOKS WHEN EVER THEY OPEN THE DOOR?!"
"Thank you darling, I knew you would agree. I'll show you your room now, then we can talk some more in the restaurant before the-"
Flowey raised an eyebrow. "Just one room? You said I could bring an assistant."
He wasn't particularly bothered, just a little surprised. He would have quite happily come here by himself, but after Papyrus found out about Mettaton's proposal he'd jumped at the opportunity to accompany his 'cool friend' to Hotland. It made him happy, so Flowey decided not to turn him down... besides, he would probably come in useful.
"Yes, but remember that only one of you will be sharing my limelight. If you really want a separate room for your assistant, he will have to pay for it himself, and i'm afraid all the non-megadeluxe rooms are already in use."
"You know what, just let Papyrus have it." Flowey said quickly. He didn't really want a room, it would just mean having to stay confined in a pot for longer.
Papyrus looked excited for a split second, then frowned and shook his head. "I APPRECIATE YOUR GENEROSITY FLOWEY, BUT I CAN'T TAKE YOUR ROOM."
Oh, he would make it more difficult than it needed to be, wouldn't he? Flowey held himself back from rolling his eyes and put on a patient smile. "Papyrus, it's fine. I can find somewhere else to stay." Anywhere else but Hotland...
"My, how selfless! If only we were recording right now, what a shame." Flowey didn't hold himself back from rolling his eyes at that. "Well anyway, here is your room." Mettaton guided them to a door down a side corridor. "And here is your room key."
He held the key out for Papyrus who began shuffling Flowey's pot under one arm to free the other hand. Flowey took the key and handed it to him once he was done.
"Well, i'll leave you to settle in. See you for lunch in an hour." With those parting words, Mettaton left them alone.
The room was much like the lobby decorated in rich red and gold colors, sparse but stylish furnishings and a bed so large you could find a lost civilization beneath the sheets! Flowey wondered if it was springy... Chara would have been jumping on that bed the moment the door swung open!
Papyrus walked around to place him on a precarious looking side table. "ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE ABOUT THIS? IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SHARE, THEN I'M QUITE HAPPY TO STAY IN SNOWDIN, IT WOULDN'T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO TRAVEL HERE TO SEE YOU."
Why couldn't he just let this go? "Really Papyrus, you don't need to fuss over me like this. I'll figure something out."
"NO." Apparently not... "AS YOUR FRIEND IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT FOR ME TO ACCEPT WITHOUT AT LEAST KNOWING YOU HAD SOMEWHERE TO GO FIRST." Heh, he never questioned where Flowey went before, funny how he cared now all of a sudden. Papyrus went quiet for a moment, then something seemed to come to him. "UNDYNE SAID THAT DR. ALPHYS LIVES IN HOTLAND! MAYBE SHE WOULD BE WILLING TO LET YOU STAY WITH HER FOR A WHILE?!"
Flowey's interest piqued up; that could actually be a good way to get closer to Alphys. "Do you have her phone number?"
Papyrus looked deflated. "NO... BUT UNDYNE MIGHT, I'LL ASK HER!" He promptly pulled out his phone and began dialing; Flowey thought it a little odd that he could dial with such ease while wearing gloves. "HELLO UNDYNE, DO YOU HAVE DR. ALPHYS' PHONE NUMBER? WE NEED TO ASK HER A FAVOR... ...I'M IN HOTLAND WITH FLOWEY AND HE NEEDS A PLACE TO STAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE... ...YES, BUT WE CAN'T GET ANOTHER ROOM HERE... ...HE GAVE ME HIS... ...I KNOW BUT HE INSISTED!... ...THANK YOU, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU HELPING US OUT LIKE THIS, I WON'T FORGET IT!" He ended the call. "SHE'S GOING TO ASK FOR US."
Flowey smiled at him, but didn't say anything. While Papyrus anxiously fiddled with his phone, Flowey took a look at what he'd thought was a lamp, but actually turned out to be a bottle filled with something called 'Eau de Rectangle'. He considered trying to open it, but the cap was so stupidly big he wasn't sure it was even supposed to open. Eventually, the phone rang.
"HELLO... UNDYNE?" Papyrus answered before it could ring a second time. "DID YOU SPEAK TO HER? WHAT DID SHE SAY?... ... REALLY?! THANK YOU! AND THANK HER TO FOR ME TOO!" Click. "SHE AGREED TO LET YOU STAY WITH HER!"
Flowey's smile grew wider. "That's wonderful news! See, I told you you didn't need to fret about me, it all turns out okay in the end." Things were moving to plan even better than expected...
Very soon it was lunch time. They met up with Mettaton again and the three talked over a steak... or rather, Flowey surrendered his own to Papyrus, who unsurprisingly didn't get one. Mettaton talked at length about ratings and test audiences and other TV production related things, and again, Flowey didn't pay much attention... though Papyrus seemed enthralled by the robot's every word.
After lunch they headed outside to the stage just beyond the resort; numerous monsters were busy moving around props and setting up lights, ready for the big show.
... He was going to perform there? In front of an audience of possibly hundreds of monsters?...
"Here we are." Mettaton announced, rolling to stand in Papyrus' path. "Thank you darling, your presence is no longer needed. We can take it from here."
He reached out for Flowey's pot, Papyrus' face fell slightly. "OH... IT'S JUST, I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO STAY AND WATCH THE REHEARSAL...?"
Mettaton paused for a long moment. "You know what, who am I to deny such a die-hard fan the chance to see my performance live? Just... try not to make too much noise, okay?"
"THANK YOU METTATON!" Papyrus handed over the pot and bounded towards the empty auditorium, taking a seat in the front row while Mettaton set Flowey down on a table in the middle of the set.
Everything was colored brightly, mostly in primary shades of red, blue and yellow. Behind them, several monsters were placing down large, wooden cutouts in the shapes of cartoon trees, balloons, flowers and other childish imagery. Flowey thought this show was going to be for monsters around his age? This was for kids way younger than him...
"See that?" Mettaton pointed out a camera placed just in front of the auditorium and angled towards them. "Look into that camera and give us your most fabulous smile~"
Flowey did as he was told. "Is it recording?" He asked through clenched teeth.
"Not yet darling, this is just for practice." The robot placed his hands down either side of Flowey's pot, making the space feel strangely claustrophobic. "CLEAR THE SET, WE ARE STARTING!" He winced at the loudness, Mettaton didn't seem to notice. After the others had left the set, Mettaton whispered his next instruction. "Now, I want you to introduce yourself to all the children who will be watching at home."
Flowey stared into the camera, he glanced quickly away at the beaming face of Papyrus in the stands, then back at the camera again. Back into the black hole that would carry his image to everyone in the underground... not helping.
Wait... what am I so worried about? It's not like I CARE what anyone thinks of me, and besides, if anything DOES go wrong, there's always a SAVE to go back to...
I can have fun with this.
A genuine smile crept in atop his artificial one, he took a deep breath. "Howdy boys and girls, I'm Flowey the flower!"
"AND I'M METTATON, YOUR FABULOUS HOST!"
Flowey frowned. "Wait... aren't I a host too?"
"OF COURSE YOU ARE FLOWEY. NOW, BE A GOOD HOST AND PRESENT ALL THE WONDERFUL ARTWORK OUR VIEWERS HAVE BEEN SENDING IN!"
He was about to speak again when a pile of papers was dropped in front of him. Rubbing off the mild annoyance, he endeavored to play along and clumsily picked a piece from the top of the pile and held it up to the camera with a pair of vines; It was a crayon drawing depicting Mettaton wearing a jetpack.
"Golly, you're a creative bunch, aren'tcha?" Flowey said, sticking out his tongue playfully. "You sure captured his likeness, what do you think, Mettaton?"
"ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS DARLING! AND WHO SENT THIS ONE IN?"
He looked around for the name and found it scribbled in one corner; it was hard to make out. "This is from Penygor, age four and a half." He had to admit, It was a pretty good drawing for someone that young... if these were real and not just props made for show.
"WONDERFUL, SO WHO DO WE HAVE NEXT?"
Flowey set down the drawing and picked up the next one, presenting it to the camera. It depicted... "Oh..."
It depicted Mettaton flailing aimlessly on the ground while someone held his wheel above their head like a trophy. The image was rather more crudely drawn than the first, and the name was signed in very wide letters taking up most of the bottom of the page.
Mettaton spun towards one of the crew standing just out of shot. "I THOUGHT YOU SORTED THROUGH THESE!"
"Sssorry sssir, we only just got most of them in." The monster called back, recoiling his long neck in a show of guilt.
Mettaton sighed. "Well, at least we found it during a rehearsal and not a live broadcast. Disregard that one Flowey darling, we'll go with the next one."
Flowey set it down on the first and picked up another from the pile. This picture didn't feature Mettaton at all, but instead showed an idyllic field of grass and yellow flowers under a bright blue sky; a purple triangle rose up in the background which Flowey assumed to represent Mount Ebott. The picture was signed on the back.
"Evette Pac has sent this one in. Looks like it's a real nice day on the surface." What a shame we couldn't all be up there instead. He mentally added then immediately dismissed.
"OUTSTANDING! I CAN JUST IMAGINE MYSELF THERE RIGHT NOW."
Flowey set it down and picked up the next. He showed it to the camera then barely held back a snort. It was the crudest drawing yet depicting a waving Mettaton in the middle of the page with the words 'I AM A BIG DOODOO HED' written in gigantic letters across the top and bottom, barely contained within the paper's edges. It looked like Mettaton wasn't very popular with young children.
"Shall I go to the next one?" He asked with barely contained amusement.
Although it was impossible to read any expression on Mettaton's 'face', Flowey suspected by the way his arms slumped that he was exasperated. "No." The robot said and began gathering up the papers from the table. "I'll sort through these first myself. Besides, I think this is enough rehearsal for one day. You will be pleased to hear that you passed with flying colors! I knew you would~"
"Passed?" Flowey frowned while a twinge of annoyance crept over him. "This was a test?"
"Why of course, darling! I couldn't possibly put you in front of a live audience without knowing you could handle yourself on stage first. What did you think this was for?"
"Urm..." He hadn't actually given it much thought, but he supposed that made sense. "If this was a test, then what's different when we rehearse for real?"
"Rehearse? For real? Oh darling, there's no room for rehearsal in true Show business. You need to be prepared to take everything as it comes! ALL performances will be LIVE! It's just the way things are, you don't want to disappoint your soon-to-be adoring fans now, do you?"
"Oh... okay." He didn't understand the logic in what Mettaton was saying, but it also didn't really matter.
All performances were live, huh? Well no problem! With a SAVE point and an audience full of young kids...
He could have a LOT of fun with this... hee hee hee...