Chapter 6

It certainly was quite the situation that was unfolding for the little golden flower, managing to somehow find himself at the wrong place and the wrong time. To him it was as if his life seemed destined to run in extremes, never giving but the bare minimum of breathing space in order to continue on.

Nothing can ever be easy for me, ever.

Flowey was a creature of apathy by his unfortunate nature, but it was still his choice to act on such apathy.

His mother was often the subject of it, he held so much contempt for her. In times long past he had toyed with the idea of exploring a life with her once more as her child but grew out of it due to her overbearing and (what he considered) selfish desires to recreate the past with him minus her former husband and his former sibling.

As if life could go on, business as usual.

Flowey's contention with Toriel was what he perceived was her content desire to act as though other humans were worthy of protection, something which reviled him. None of those Humans which fell into the Underground could ever hold as much importance in his mind as the first fallen human.

In that way they weren't so different.

But Flowey knew that the past had to be, in his own words, recreated, literally. You can't just pretend the present is the past moron.

Beyond being a stark reminder of his much happier past as a child, she was a constant pain in the present. He felt nothing for her, try as he might.

Straightening himself upright and pretending like he wasn't actually a living flower wasn't going to work, she had seen him move.

Flowey knew he had to say something eventually or this situation would get out of hand quickly. Sariel was presumably long gone out of sight and had no clue that Toriel was anywhere close to the He went right for a classic one that should work, "Sorry my mother taught me never to talk to strangers."

Ironically enough, he could recall many times he heard this from other children his age, though seldom was he taught it himself.

If anything, as royalty, he was taught to engage with his subjects as one day he would have to interact with them publicly. He wished never for it to happen and in a twisted sort of way, the universe granted him that wish.

Get away from me you old coot! You can't hurt me anymore!

"Now perhaps you're too young but I'm a stranger to no one my child, I'm the former queen of the Underground. I'm just concerned that you're lost." she smiled as she knelt down and placed her hands on either end of his tiny worn kettle.

Flowey briefly considered discarding the stupid kettle but realized that with all the stoney unnatural roads and no dirt in sight there would be nowhere for him to go and hide. Beyond that, Sariel was bound to return for him too, he couldn't just leave.

Is shouting for other adults, or just 'help!' in general out of the question?

He mustered up his courage and spoke up.

"No I'm not lost, I'm simply waiting for a friend of mine, please I'm in no need of help." He looked up at her with the biggest (but nervous) forced grin, holding himself upright. It was starting to occur to Flowey that there simply was no way he was getting out of this conundrum and the best route was one of mild honesty.

"Well gosh that explains it, but a poor little child like you staying out here in the rain? you might get water logged." Toriel looked at him with those big worried eyes, he had seen those too many times before. They were an awful sight of someone who was too modest for her own good. If only she could care less and just mind her own business it would have saved him a lot of trouble, in the present and in innumerable times previously throughout his life.

It always comes back to stupid family issues, doesn't it?

"I'm a grown up!" He shouted with some weight behind it, he straightened his stem and presented himself proudly, it wasn't a facade entirely either.

Flowey did view himself now as having become mature in all the time that had passed since he woke up.

"No, I'm fine! I swear, I will be alright." He squeaked.

He was doing his best to present himself as sternly as possible. One of the many issues of being trapped as a flower was always the issue of image.

"Well I shall wait with you perhaps? As you can see I have plenty of cover myself but there's nothing wrong with making sure you're plenty comfy my child."

Get it through your head: I'm not a child! Leave me alone!

Toriel stood up off the ground, grabbing her umbrella which hung with its curved handle dangling off her arm and carefully opened it. She placed it gently down besides Flowey and tilted it in place so as to give him some cover from the elements. The whole spectacle left Flowey somewhat confused, why was she bothering with him?

"I can't let someone so tiny and helpless just go abandoned, I prefer to help others."

Yes you can. Please. You have never done anyone any good… EVER!

The Boss Monster warmly smiled and tilted her head on one side with her modest comment. Flowey's eye twitched slightly, losing himself to the thought of Toriel's features. They reminded him of Sariel, her familiar head tilting, it made him wonder if this was a trait passed from Mother to Child perhaps? during their time together?

Flowey managed a small crooked smile back up at her, hard as it was to make, he started to slink back down while doing so, attempting humility but it wasn't his strong suit. "Well… it's appreciated, thanks, I guess."

With that he considered briefly the idea of running again, thinking he should sprout from the stupid kettle and make a dash to the next street like a little frightened animal, it'd be sure to give Toriel a good terrifying sight to behold.

"Absolutely my child I-" Toriel was cut off with almost perfect timing by a brief electronic chime that emanate from between the pair. The sound was close. It was a phone chime! It immediately put an end to whatever the monster was going to say to him. She slowly slid a wet paw into her raincoat's front pocket and produced her phone from within it. A little old device that was long outdated even when she first got it, it came equipped with an assortment of tacky dangling keychains and charms that just advertised how out of touch she was.

Flowey watched with curiosity at what was unfolding, grateful for the distraction, the boss monster squinted at her phone and then pulled it away to look back at him.

"Just a moment, a good friend of mine is calling about a private matter. I'll be just around the corner, child. Keep safe, if you need any help I'll still be here." With that, she beckoned the poor annoyed creature, laying down one of her large paws to give Flowey a gentle petting on his top petals, presumably what Toriel would consider the top of his 'head'.

But she said one more remark before making her way off,
"Keep an eye on my umbrella for me, will you dear?"

Trotting off down the alley pavement and around the corner in her pair of squeaking boots, not even looking at him as she uttered that final thought. Flowey was left there utterly speechless, gritting his teeth behind closed lips wondering about what was going through her head.

Empty headed. Was his immediate and only thought in regards to his seemingly absent minded former mother.

The place where she pressed her paw to his head felt cold, like the water but more icy. This feeling wasn't real but from the utter contempt he held in his being, he hated being touched by almost anyone but the amount of hate he had for Toriel was especially great. The touch filled the flower with a sense of utter dread and anger, it was in stark contrast to the gently comforting touches of Sariel.

Flowey had now come to appreciate her far more than he first thought, it dawned on him now that she was starting to hold a unique spot for him in comparison to most.

Sariel wasn't just some replacement for him, the humans, or his sibling. She was a Monster with thought, feeling and experiences that she didn't ask for.

Like him, she didn't want to exist.

When Flowey came to know the full extent of his terrible existence, he discovered that the most sacred ability of SAVE and LOAD, RESET, but Sariel? She had grown up the hard way, living with her mistakes, living with Flowey's mistakes.

He had no empathy but in this moment he had a greater appreciation for his new found sibling than ever before.
Dealing with Toriel after everything she's put them through made her seem far more sympathetic in his eyes now.

She also seemed to represent a genuine force of good in his life, she cared for him and he cared for her…

At least, he knew he wanted to care for her.

The flower stewed in his aggressive thoughts for a moment more and suddenly was filled with the urge to break the stupid umbrella with two vines as a final insult before leaving to look for Sariel.

But just as Flowey cocked his head back and readied a vine, in approach was his caprine girl who was more focused on wrapping some sort of bandaging around the affected area than watching where she was going.

Has she seen Toriel? Probably not. As she approached she started to slow down, walking more carefully to avoid puddles before stopping in front of Flowey.

"Hey, looks like we'll have to-"

He was holding it together well, but the moment she came close enough to hear him over the cascade of rain jolted slightly. Flowey opened his mouth to speak but there was nothing to say, words were escaping him at the thought of what was transpiring while she was away. Too excited, too unfocused.

The best she offered him back was a confused glance and a raised eyebrow. As she finished wrapping the bandaging around her arm she spoke up, "Oh uh, where'd you get that umbrella?"

We have to get out of here, NOW. Was Flowey's first thought, followed by, PICK ME UP.

"She's here!" he was practically leaping out of the kettle, finally managing the words he was trying to get out so desperately.

"Who's here? What's wrong buddy?" Sariel knelt down to the kettle to pick it up along with the umbrella which she examined over a few times. She looked at it confused while she listened to Flowey as he continued on.

"It was TORIEL! She's making a phone call, and she said she'd be back to watch over me, and… What am I supposed to do?!" He started with a shout but lowered his tone to a brisk whisper, continuing to leap in the kettle exasperated.

Clearly beginning to panic again, uncertain of how much time the two had left. Sariel looked just as startled and bewildered as he did initially, finally it seemed she was starting to take him seriously.

"You saw the Queen?"

"Yes! She just FOUND me here, and-" He shook himself violently, sending drops of water outward. Flowey was a mess.

"Please Sariel, please take me home, take us home. This isn't good for either of us, we have to leave now!" Flowey pressed himself to her chest as she stared down directly at him, he was terrified of whatever could happen between the three next.

If Sariel's words were to be believed about Toriel, nothing good. As Flowey turned upward to look at her all he could see was Sariel's mouth laid open, her fangs hanging out of her mouth as she froze up, her eyes being taken off of him as her face went blank with fear.

A few silent but very anxious utterances from her were a clear indication of her own feelings if they weren't already obvious.

"Okay… yeah, we need to get out of here." She let her one paw go from the umbrella, allowing it to fall to the pavement carelessly, it bounced and kicked up some water right back at her like.

Quickly wiping her sopping wet hair from her face with her free paw, tucking it behind her floppy ears, the Boss Monster clutched her flower sibling close to her chest. She quickly walked back out of the alleyway and turned to face the streets once more. Flowey would have complained about the awkward and tight position he was caught in but knew there was simply no time to bring it up, his comfort mattered little, the two had to get moving.

Just as she had planned to get the two doing, their luck ran out as Toriel had returned dutifully.

Those steps, they were heavy, her boots. They approached.

Game over.

Sariel nearly slid into her and had to stop herself carefully, momentum continued to carry her forward. So quick was this stop, it made her ears and Flowey swing forward suddenly. He yelped as he started to gather what was occurring. Sariel was more stunned and took the time to shake her ears off her face.

All the while it seemed Toriel was still distracted, standing before them but slowly adjusting her raincoat and carefully wiping her cell phone before sliding it into a pocket on her front. The older monster used both her paws to lift her hood up at just the opportune moment as Sariel and Flowey stood there before her.

Finally Toriel's eyes were drawn to the pair before her, she began to speak but quickly stopped, "Seems your little friend has returned after all, dear-"

And just like that, Toriel just stood there, silent.

Flowey silently wondered if Sariel kept moving in the opposite direction, would Toriel have noticed at all? Likely it was Sariel's stopping that was a bad move more than just going around the monster and running.

The moment seemed to last forever.

It was like a standoff.

Making the first move, Toriel raised her paws up to her hood and slowly removed her covering completely. The raising of her paws alone made Sariel step back a few paces, likely terrified. Flowey backed up slightly too, pressing his stem against Sariel's chest but keeping a watchful gaze on what the monster would do next.

Toriel's eyes were wide, her face was full of conviction.

"My my after all this time, after all this time…" Toriel uttered while walking forward, she raised an arm out and got closer to the pair.

What?! What is she doing?

Flowey wanted to get a good look at Sariel's reaction to this, but couldn't pry his attention away from Toriel. Not sure exactly what was going on.

Perhaps, she was asking for forgiveness?

"Another Monster of my kin, you know it is such a rare sight. It is a real pleasure to meet you." The matted wet arm and paw she was reaching out before Sariel and Flowey was for shaking, she wanted to shake her hand.

Toriel's expression wasn't a complete smile, it was uneasy to say the least, she looked ahead wall eyed slightly at the young monster but it did seem the hand shake offer was in earnest.

It seemed for the moment that Toriel had no regard for him and he took the opportunity to look up at his sibling. Sariel looked absolutely haunted, she stared at Toriel with hollow glare. Her mouth, while not as agape as it was early, still lay slightly open with her fangs peaking out. She seemed equal parts terrorised and confused.

The downpour seemed to intensify with the meeting between the three.
Nature's timing with the window dressing for this scene was impeccable, Flowey thought.

Sariel started to clench her teeth, baring her fangs and forming her mouth into a crooked and somewhat unnatural smile. Slowly she took on Toriel's paw and gave her a handshake.

Toriel's eyebrows raised but she seemed to take it well, smiling a little easier than she was prior. He didn't even have to ask, Flowey knew for certain that neither of them had any idea what to make of this encounter though he still wondered what was going through Sariel's head.

This is crazy…

After unhanding her, Toriel seemed to take note of her property on the ground and picked it up very slowly, the entire time she held her eyes on the Boss Monster and Flower pair suspiciously.

Once off the ground she returned back to her place just before them. She easily towered above Sariel by about another foot and a half. "You see now, we came into town looking for someone who can help me with my injury." Sariel puffed, speaking in a weird tone that made her sound nasally. It was unnatural. If that was her LAME attempt at changing her voice, Flowey thought, the best she could do in the future was a career in silent movies.

"Terrible thing", Toriel muttered, staring down at the girl with worried eyes now, more than Toriel Flowey was familiar with. "I know this weather is simply awful, and this may seem like a silly thing to ask but mightn't I take a look at it?"

Toriel shook the umbrella and opened it wide, then stretched it out above the others.

Sariel looked down at Flowey, the first time she had done so since this situation began. He was confused at what trading worried expressions at each other was about, but the gears started to turn in his mind. Poor girl had only two paws and she slowly proceeded to put him down to undo her bandaging that she had put on.

She didn't want to let me go…

"I just wrapped it, i-it's a shame I have to do this-" Sariel was now sticking her arm up before Toriel, which made her back off slightly.

Toriel was standing a little too close to her.

Flowey hated this angle on the ground, he could barely hear what they were saying and the constant stray hits from raindrops ricocheting slightly off the ground toward him was overwhelming. Whatever they were saying it appeared as though they reached some sort of a consensus but he could see from Sariel's expression that this isn't what she hoped for.

She bent down to Flowey now, her voice carrying a tone matching the look in her eyes.

"She'd like us to go with her, she says she can heal me." This was just about the last thing he wanted to hear.

✦‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿୨ ✿ ୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵✦

Tacky centuries old décor and a penchant for lots of useless heirlooms, knick-knacks, and sentimental items seemed to be a trait shared by both his parents, even after leaving the Underground.

They were within Toriel's new house which situated itself in a fairly populated looking area, between the more urban centre and suburban areas beyond before hitting the sea This was the only thing that caught the flower by surprise as they arrived. He took his mother for more of a recluse who'd stay the furthest away, but otherwise this was about what he was expecting. She transformed this place into an expanded

She hasn't changed one bit…

Much to Toriel's frustration, upon their arrival within the home he shook himself dry much like an animal would.

"You're a precious thing, but there's no need to do that." She said sternly, but still with her usual jovial tone. Flowey didn't care as he was happy to be a nuisance for her.

Too bad, so sad.

Sariel followed suit, taking time to wipe her feet at the door and squeezing her shirt of water contained within. For all the clothes she wore it must have felt heavy, was Flowey's only thought.

After that, she carried him further in, following on from Toriel's lead, she greatly bored the two with basic talk of life, which the two found so mundane but oddly challenging with no idea how to answer it.

They were supposed to be masking their identities somewhat.

After all, Toriel had no idea her fake daughter and her dead son were standing before her right now.

Flowey had come to be situated on a large dining room table overlooking a fireplace, bookcase, television, and large pair of sofas. All the furniture looked to be of handcrafted quality, much like the kind he grew up with although it was somewhat smaller than what he remembers, seemingly for more human proportioned guests.
While many of the books in the case looked worn, there was a load more that appeared to be new. Toriel certainly had always been some kind of bookworm in the Underground, but now she was free to feast on the print of the Surface and she did so proudly. Books abound the living space in stacks and filling the shelves.

While taking all this in, something caught Flowey's eyes. Above the fireplace sat several pictures, placed rather eclectically with some turned toward one side of the room and the rest toward the couch.

Flowey couldn't make out exactly what was in each but he couldn't help but stare at them curiously. He couldn't help but try to gleam details of the woman's life since coming to the surface.

Another thing catching his attention was a series of hanging shelves on the wall above him. These were suspiciously familiar items: A pair of ballet shoes hung by their string on a hook next to a ribbon which sat near a cowboy hat by a toy gun, the rest were filled with other toys he didn't recognize but he could discern from those he did know why they were there.

In all this time the two monsters were talking but he was ignoring it, he was lost at the implications of the house he was now in. It seemed as though Toriel lived alone again.

Was Asgore nearby?

What about Frisk?

Or Anyone…

Maybe something happened to them?

Toriel clicked open a small black case and clutched from it a dainty pair of glasses that were far too small for her face, in Flowey's opinion. As she put them on, she pulled up one of the dining chairs, patting the head of it softly.

"Here, here my child." Sariel was still dripping hunched over the Fireplace trying to get dry when she called. Slowly she made her way toward the chair and sat down in it very quickly much like a child.

Whatever the two had been talking about while Flowey was ignoring them didn't seem to put Sariel at ease in the slightest, if anything she looked pained by even the request to view her wounds.

Sariel averted her gaze, she didn't even look in Flowey's direction much to his frustration. It was as if her mind had gone totally blank again.

Toriel brought a paw to her lips, a few stifled laughs snuck out of her mouth despite trying to hide them and Sariel turned her head to face her host out of curiosity.

"I cannot help you like that my child, you need to let me see it again." Toriel asked politely, pointing at her arm. Sariel nodded and slowly raised it up again, allowing Toriel to grab it for examination.

Despite her gentle handling of Sariel's arm, she yet again averted her gaze and seemed to choose looking at the floor. Something told Flowey that this probably wasn't the first time Sariel had looked away from Toriel rather than stare at her.

"Minor irritation to the fur, it'll grow back in time. No need for magic, I can give you something to treat this naturally." Toriel let go of Sariel's arm carefully, and put her glasses down on the table.

Sariel simply sighed, pulling her arm back and holding it by the elbow. While no longer as anxious as he was earlier, Flowey was starting to feel distress just by looking at the girl. Being in Toriel's presence obviously pained her, pained her more than it did him.

He found it confusing, but relatable.

"Might I show you my dear? I need you to come with me into the washroom where I keep the medicine." like a proper host, she politely stuck out a hand to motion Sariel toward the hallway just beyond the dining room.

The young girl took in a deep breath, running a paw through the messy wet fur on her head and rose up from the chair slowly tucking her arms together and holding them before her stomach as if she was going to be sick. Maybe she was doing to be sick.

Sariel turned back to Flowey, it was the same don't let go look she gave him back on the sidewalk, "G-good news huh?" she croaked.

I'm sorry Sariel…

"I'll be a moment buddy…" He could hear her voice crack as she spoke that last one, she was clearly on the verge of tears.

Sariel walked down the hall and disappeared from view, Toriel turned her head slowly tracking her exact movements down the hall and then slowly trailed just behind. Flowey heard a door crack and could see a light come on in another hall with the two continuing to have some conversation just out of range, coming across muffled through the wall.

I want to go home, I want to go home so badly. Leaving the Underground was a mistake.

This mantra kept going through his head the entire day but was louder now especially. They were in the lion's den and he had to stick it out for her, whether he liked it or not.

He made a promise to her, and he was going to keep it. This was after all, his fault. He hurt her.

He was shutting his eyes tight, gritting his little teeth, slumping over the kettle and then… it came to him.

I'm alone right now!

His eyes opened. Suddenly it became clear and he realized this was a great opportunity to explore a little.

Like a spring, he shot himself up and out of the kettle, managing a drop from the table with a sudden face plant into the hardwood floor that dazed him for a moment.

"Owch!"

Propping himself up by his roots, he shook himself and got steady on stem once more.

Flowey scuttled along the ground and across the room till he reached the fireplace. He took a brief look at his surroundings before deciding the couches were close enough that he could fling himself from them.

He managed his way up one of the arms of the couch before summoning the magical strength needed to sprout his vines to be longer. Using them he attempted to reach out to the side of the fireplace mantle. One problem, it was burning hot. Even the brief touch was searing and enough to burn the tip of a root black.

Gah!

He slinked the vine back suddenly, causing him to nearly lose his balance. After writhing around in pain for a moment, he wanted to try the side of the fireplace mantle. Surely it wouldn't be as hot.

Flowey waited for the right moment and then-

He sprung forward, this time leaping from the couch arm to the side of the fireplace ledge, which while hot, wasn't scolding. He struggled to maintain balance on such a skinny part of the fireplace but knew he just had to manage it for a few moments.

He withdrew his vines into himself suddenly so as to better get his balance and not waste his valuable space.

With one vine still elongated, he used it to reach out and turned each photo frame to himself to better examine what was in each.

The first was a wide picture in a thick wooden frame. The photo contained Toriel, Asgore, the Scientist, Sans, Papyrus, and the warrior Undyne. All of them were surrounding Frisk, standing on some dirt road, all of them held a smile, and stared straight at the camera.

About what I was expecting.

The second picture was within a thin silver looking frame, the photo was of Toriel and Asgore by some pillars covered in plant roots, but the bottom portion remained ripped off. This was the top half of an official portrait they had commissioned, Flowey recalled it exactly. Had it been complete it would have both his former self and his human sibling in frame as their parents held them.

He was starting to grit his teeth again with pain? Anxiety? Anger? He didn't know, he wasn't supposed to have feelings.

But he did feel pain.

I can't believe she'd do this to our picture…

Flowey almost didn't have the energy to look at the next picture, but he knew he never wanted to come back here and wouldn't get another chance to, he turned to it and nearly fell back when he did.

No, this can't be.

The picture was of Toriel, she had her glasses on and some sort of business looking suit with a matching skirt. Next to her was Frisk, though not the one Flowey remembered. This human was taller and wore a sweater with a pair of tight brown shorts. Their mop of messy hair and face were exactly the same, with one hand they were raising their hand to form the 'v' peace symbol and smiling with Toriel clutching them. Their other hand was holding some sort of wide document.

A number below the picture handwritten in ink dated it to a far later year than Flowey remembered it being.

They grew up…

They're old and I'm still the same.

They forgot about me.

Flowey could hardly contain himself, he began to feel that familiar sensation of hot drops streaming down his face and onto his petals, that stinging burn in his eyes. This whole time he waited for them to come back, he sincerely thought they would.

Maybe it's because of that final conversation we had, he thought, maybe not.

His mind was racing with lots of possibilities.
If Frisk wasn't here… then they're somewhere else, enjoying life.

It really hit him in this moment, after all that time being in the Underground where time seemed so still. Where he was in control of everything. Time was moving on, maybe not for him, or his parents, but for the world. For Humans and Monsters too.

After holding back his hollow sobs, he wiped his tears with a shaking root, and turned the pictures as close back into place as he could. Then looked over the edge of the fireplace mantle and allowed himself to drop to the floor with a sudden thud, he didn't care how much it hurt. The pain within was far greater and numbed the sensation of the landing.

He didn't want to get up. But he knew he had no choice, he couldn't let Toriel find him like this.

Raising himself up slowly, he turned himself on his stem back at the top of the fireplace and at the pictures. Taking in one last long look at Frisk's picture and of the others as well.

He scuttled back up onto the table and into place in the kettle. As he did so his mind was completely blank, he just did his best not to look at the stupid pictures.

But his mind couldn't stop, no matter how hard he tried.

Flowey thought over what he just saw and started to smile. He was still greatly aggrieved by this revelation but was starting to think a little more positively about it.

Frisk got the one thing he could never get, a series of choices that led to a happy ending. Led Monsterkind to freedom and a world to enjoy.

What did he do? Just kill and destroy.

He deserved to be forgotten.

I can't blame them for not coming back. They did the right thing.
Remember me as I was Frisk, remember me as that happy kid you met once.

The little flower could hear that Toriel was making her way back in from the echoing of steps beyond coming ever closer. He straightened himself up right and stared at the door frame just as she arrived in view. He was doing his best not to cry, but holding it in hurt so much.

Walking back into the room and toward the table he rested on, Toriel could tell something was slightly a miss but didn't utter a word. She just looked around at the room and heaved a sigh. Flowey darted his inky eyes over to her, confused somewhat by Sariel's lack of appearance yet.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, he hadn't really wanted to talk to her but was ready for a distraction.

Toriel looked down at him with surprise, as though she forgot he was there for a moment. Though her expression didn't offer any comfort to him, she seemed tired. "I was able to take care of your little friend and now I'm happy to see you two off my child," She sat down at the table, grabbing the mug sitting at its end and taking a sip from it. "I told you it would be better if I waited with you." She let out a hearty laugh.

"I suppose you're right…" he tilted in the kettle and looked at the hallway beyond again for any sign of her, "Where is she?"

"I saw you seemed uncomfortable so I'm having her pick out a small pot from the back, I have several that I think would be much more comfortable for you than that beat up old thing you're in my child. Take it as a parting gift." The old boss monster managed to crack a small smile and let out a giggle but stifled further ones, and opted to just continue staring at him with heavy, tired eyes.

She reached out rather listlessly at a mug that had been sitting at the table since before they had arrived. It surely was cold, but it made no difference to Toriel who took it into both paws and sipped from it.

"Oh- I see." Flowey didn't have much to say on these matters, he merely needed to keep it together long enough until he was alone with Sariel and out of this house. At least he wouldn't have to be in this stupid thing anymore, the thought alone made him slightly happier.

"My friend and I are grateful for your help, especially her being a Boss Monster and I'm sure you helped her a lot." He wasn't one for small talk, this much was already obvious.

"Oh, she is no Boss Monster. There's only two left, ones me and the other one is an idiot I used to know." Toriel replied back with a snappy tone, taking another long sip from her mug, fluttering her eyes. Flowey recoiled slightly, rarely did his Mother have this kind of tone, she wasn't easy to anger. Asgore got most of it from her but

this, this was something else… contempt?

Toriel sighed with a dower look on her face. "She's some creature made from magic and some science-sorcery-something-or-other that's beyond me."

She knew...
She knew this whole time…?!

"H-how do you know?" Flowey was stunned, quivering in his kettle uncertain what to make of this revelation he lowered himself as if ready to spring from the kettle at a moment's notice.

"I sniffed it out the moment I saw her." Toriel looked away from him, shaking her head. Putting her mug down and walking over to be closer to Flowey. She leaned over the table at him and started to whisper.

"I'm sure you had no idea at all from the way you're looking back at me." She leaned in closer to him, her face filled with contempt. He knew it now, it was contempt, "I assure you my child, that she's not dangerous but you should know your friend isn't normal. Not a real monster."

Flowey was leaning back, his stem brushing up against the rust of the kettle's edge. With an eyebrow raised he questioned through a grimace, "Then why did you help her?"

"Sooner I do, the sooner she can get on, she has no business here and I hope I never see her again. You best be careful consorting with faces like that of hers."

"Do listen to me, I am the former queen you know. Perhaps it was before your time? I tell you this in honesty, do be safe and try to stay away from her. She will hurt you. I just know it."

Toriel leaned back from Flowey, letting go of the table and walking over to one of the seats. She picked up a book tossed aside on it, she turned to a marked page and thumbed a few pages beyond it.

"Be safe, my child."

Flowey wasn't sure at all what to make of this little interaction and simply blinked at Toriel a few times. He relaxed enough for his stem to straighten out but the flood of things he was already thinking only got worse, he turned away from Toriel to avoid having the expectation of further conversation put on him.

Never had he heard something like that from her before, it muddled his mind greatly.

After a short while he overheard Sariel's familiar pitter-patter coming forward. She passed through the door frame into the living room carrying a medium sized pot that was a soft red-brown in colour. She looked much dryer and had a different shirt on. This one was Purple. Likely a parting gift for her too, it made him cringe at how insincere his Mother was being to them. At least… To Sariel, but she meant more to him now than Toriel.

"I'm back, ready to go to Flowey? I know I'm ready."

A little giggle came from just behind him, it was Toriel who couldn't help herself. Amused by his name apparently.

Flowey's inky black eyes narrowed, his eyebrows pressed in, and he looked at her with the weariness of the day on full display. This place made him sick.

"Let's get out of here…" he mumbled.

She slowly walked over to him to present him with the gift from Toriel: the pot, topped off with plenty of soil in it as well.

"What's wrong buddy?" she asked him, he turned slowly to face Sariel, the conversation with Toriel hadn't helped matters one bit. He was between a rock and a hard place, he always thought of other people as trouble and opted to keep to himself for these exact reasons. Everyone just caused him overwhelming sensations he couldn't stand. He was fighting back his thoughts but was losing the battle.

Flowey could see his Boss Monster sibling giving him a look of grave concern. Flowey stared down at his new pot rather than face her and saw that it was fairly old and used. Less of a display piece and more something for the outside, to be nice to it.

It looks like trash, to be honest.

Despite being spaced out while staring at it, he began to focus his sight on its finger details. Upon closer inspection he saw that it was very scuffed and covered in many multi-coloured chalk drawings.

The chalk drawings were of Temmies, Froggits, an Everyman and a bunch of little yellow flowers.

One of the yellow flowers had a black smiley face on it and was outlined with hearts. He could only speculate the artist responsible but he did have someone in mind, someone who might've lived here once and left it here.

This brought a small, but warm smile to his weary face.

"Flowey, you're giving me the silent treatment, is everything alright?" Sariel leaned closer, doing her best not to cause a scene. She just wanted to leave this place the same as him. But not yet, he was having a moment. With a deep breath he collected himself ready to get into the pot.

"Nothing at all, let's go home." he said, still smiling, tears starting to well up in the corners of his little beady eyes once more.