The Marsh - Part 2

It didn't seem like the fog would disperse any time soon.

Looking out the windows, Frisk couldn't see any sign of existence in the white mist. If she didn't know any better, this was the edge of the world.

So all that was left to see was the interior.

It all smelled of herbs and weed, not unlike the home of the skeleton brothers. But despite Finrick clearly suffering from worse addiction to the strange, magic weed, this place didn't look nearly as negligent.

The wooden floorboard was crooked yet also clean and well polished. No hints of loose nails or dirty trash.

Same with the crooked walls covered with a fine wallpaper. The wallpaper was a faint greenish, with red, swirly markings. There were holes here and there to see the wooden foundation underneath. Yet, even the wood in these holes looked polished.

The furniture, on the other hand, while not only very old and antique looking, was very minimalist. Or, at least, from what little Frisk and company got to see.

They sat in the surprisingly cramped living room on a red sofa. Frisk sat on the left end, Flowey in the centre, and MK sat on the other end. Facing them was an old, unlit fireplace, surrounded by two smaller windows. Between them, the fireplace, and the windows, was a small coffee table on top of a yellow and red rug.

This small, circular living room, and even this house, still lacked something. Frisk couldn't put her mind on it.

Either way, she fancied this minimalist house which she wasn't expecting from the run-down exterior. It was almost the opposite sense of truth and expectation of the home of the old hermit.

As it turned out, the kitchen was opposite the living room, separated by a tiny hallway between them. If one leaned from the top of the sofa, it was possible to get a good look inside.

From their vantage, it was a tiny, white room with a small stove, oven, and cupboards galore. The fishy chef wore nothing but a cooking apron over his potato-sack pants.

At this moment, the kids were waiting, a sizzling sound coming from the kitchen. The sound of their host being hard at work.

"This is like a grandmother's house," Flowey stated. "Not that I would know. Mine died a long time before I was born. But I think this is what it'll feel like."

"Reminds me of home," MK said, pondering. "Only not poor. And run down. And cold."

"At least in Snowdin, you don't have to worry about bugs," Flowey added.

"The underground has bugs?" Frisk asked.

"Sure," Flowey stated. "You know we can't all be monsters. What do you think snails eat?"

"Snails?" Frisk asked. "There are snails down here?"

"We have dogs," Flowey stated. "And you're surprised by snails?"

"Wait, snails eat bugs?" MK asked in surprise. "Oh. That makes sense. I always wanted a pet snail, but my moms told me it would have just frozen to death. Now, I know it's because we wouldn't be able to feed it. Yo, why didn't they just tell me that?"

"No, snails don't eat bugs," Frisk said. "I think. Or, at least, not where I'm from."

"They don't?" Flowey asked.

"I thought you were the brains here," MK said. "Now I'm confused."

"No, they eat stuff like leaves, grass," Frisk explained.

"Huh," Flowey said. "Alright then, I admit, I just kinda assumed it. Because of, you know, the cycle of life?"

"Wait, wait, two things," Frisk began. "One, you guys know about the cycle of life?"

"What's that?" MK asked. "Is that some sort of holy thing? Like The Angel and The Deltarune?"

"I've read about it, and no, it's not a holy thing," Flowey said. "It's a natural vehicle of sorts."

"Ooh, like a natural bike?" MK inquired.

"Wha- vehicle?" Frisk asked, flabbergasted. "How the hell did you come to that conclusion?"

"No, it's-" Flowey began. "That was just a poor metaphor. Fine, it's more of a thing where big animals eat smaller ones who even bigger animals then eat."

"That's my second point," Frisk said. "I'm no biologist, but I'm pretty sure that's a super oversimplification of The Cycle of Life, at the very least."

"Ok, I admit," Flowey continued. "My memory on the subject is faulty. As it often is nowadays."

"You thought every animal on the surface is a carnivore? How did you think humans live then?"

"I don't know, in cities? behind walls?"

"What's a carn-ie-vore?" MK asked curiously.

"Erm, you… you don't want to know, kid," Frisk stated. "Not yet."

"It's an animal that eats another animal," Flowey stated. "That's a carnivore."

"Erm, kid-"

"Oh?" MK said, looking intrigued, much to Frisk's surprise. "Like how dog eats snails sometimes?"

"Yeah," Flowey said, nodding.

"But am I a carnivore then?" MK asked. "You know when we eat snails?"

"Wait, I'm confused," Frisk stated. "You monsters eat snails but also keep them as pets."

"Yeah," Flowey said. "Some animals are pets, and some are food."

Frisk sank a bit into the sofa, taking it all in.

"Yeah, that sounds familiar," she said, shrugging. "Makes sense."

"Knew you had it," Flowey said, smiling.

"I never feel good eating snails," MK stated.

"Good for you," Flowey stated. "On the bright side, snails are dumb. They don't feel anything. But good. It means you still care."

"I think snails do fe-"

Flowey gave Frisk a stern eye, causing her to stop.

"Erm, you're right," Frisk said awkwardly. "They don't feel anything at all."

"Well, I still don't want to eat them," MK replied.

"Y-y-y-you kids are talking about snails?!" Finrick yelled from the kitchen. "Cool! I love, love, love, LOVE snails!"

The kids all turned around and leaned their heads on the top of the sofa.

"Have you been listening to us?!" Flowey called back.

"O… of course!" Finrick called out. "Erm, I only heard about bits and pieces. A-apologies for doing so-"

"No, no, no!" Flowey called back. "We weren't talking about anything secret! I hope. Anyway, you don't own any shirts, do you?!"

"I… maybe?!" Finrick called.

"I'm not bothered," MK said.

"I just try not to look," Frisk said.

Suddenly, she felt a strange, familiar scent fill the air even more.

"Dude, are you smoking?!" she called into the kitchen.

"Ough!" Finrick exclaimed with glee. "YEAH!"

The loud sounds of audible sniffing followed while Frisk was questioning whether or not he was even answering her question.

She resumed her previous position, stretching her slightly sore neck.

"Yo, what are you making back there?!" MK asked curiously.

"Just… some food!" Finrick replied.

"I just realised it's a bit of a pattern with you guys," Frisk said while she quickly glanced at Finrick. "You, erm, other monsters."

"What do you mean?" Flowey inquired.

"You know," Frisk said. "Food. Every time we meet with someone here, they start cooking up food. Like instantly, the first thing they do is make food for us to eat. All the way from the ruin to those skeleton brothers, Sans and, erm, shit, what was his name-"

"Papyrus," Flowey answered.

"Right, Papyrus," Frisk said. "Then that-"

"Papyrus?!" Finrick called back. "Oh, I kn-kn-kn-know that guy?!"

"Oh, you do?!" Flowey called curiously.

"Huh," Frisk said. "What a small world."

From the kitchen came the sound of an oven slamming shut.

"Big, tall skeleton!" Finrick called out while removing the apron. "Big and tall. Big and tall indeed. He's a, erm, p-pretty-ough-a pretty cool, g-g-u-"

He inhaled another big smoke from the kitchen like he was sucking in all the air from the house.

"Ough- whew!" he exclaimed. "A pretty cool guy!"

While shaking his head somewhat violently, the fish-man shuffled out of the kitchen like a beast learning to walk. He grabbed a chair in the hallway and dragged it behind him into the living room. Then he sat down on it, facing the sofa. Or rather, he might as well have fallen into the chair due to how fast and energetically he sat.

The fish looked over at the companions, trying to keep a still expression on his jittery head.

"So," he began. "Speaking of snails. You kids ever seen s-snail racing?"

"Snail racing?" Frisk replied with curiosity. "Is that a thing?"

"Yeah," MK confirmed. "Used to have those annually in Snowdin. Relatives from all over The Underground came with their trained pet snails and made them race."

"God, sounds like the most boring race in the world," Frisk said and snorted. "Oh, no offence. I'm sure it isn't."

"Eh, I just liked it for the snails," MK stated. "They're kinda cute. It sadly stopped a few years ago when no one came to town anymore. And then some Snowdinmites ate their pet snails."

"Geez, that's sucks," Frisk stated. "I'm not surprised after seeing the state of the town yesterday. But still."

"You w-were in Sn-Snowdin just yesterday?" Finrick inquired. "Well, how was my old, erm, my old f-f- my old friend Papyrus?"

"How do you know Papyrus?" Flowey quickly asked.

"Oh?" Finrick asked, visibly surprised and confused. "D-does that matter?"

"Sorry," Flowey said. "It's an old habit. But still, I find it a bit surprising since he's in Snowdin, and I don't see any computers or hint of wi-fi here. Not to mention, from the last I saw him, I don't think he leaves his house much these days."

"Everyone I know in Snowdin knows Papyrus," MK pointed out. "He's that creepy royal scientist's kid."

"I've not s-seen him for a long time," Finrick said with unease. "I-I-I-I mean, in person. I mean. Some of my workers are from S-Snowdin, and I've heard some news from him."

"Did Papyrus work for you?" Frisk inquired.

"No!" Finrick said as if startled. "Erm, sorry. No. But I've met him before. Through some, erm, through some of my workers. Nice guy. Very tall. But I, erm, I've heard of what happened to him. Sad story. Sad, sad, story."

"Hmm," Flowey muttered, thinking.

"Still," Finrick said thoughtfully. "It would be nice to hear from him again. Nice to hear-"

There came an audible ding from the kitchen.

"GAH!" Finrick cried out, causing the other three to almost jump from their seats.

Finrick quickly looked around the room before slowly turning to his guests with an awkward smile.

"S-sorry," he said. "I'm not used to having guests or sound or-"

He swallowed.

"Just a moment," he said, a fin in the air.

He stood up and walked, nervously, to the kitchen.

Frisk, Flowey and MK looked at each other as if expecting the other one to have an answer. An answer to what, exactly, wasn't clear.

Frisk gave a simple shrug and an awkward smile at the end of this interaction as if to say: "he's just trying his best".

"You kids like b-b-brownies?" Finrick called out. "Because I made some. A-and tea! If you drink tea."

"Oooh, what kind?!" MK called.

"Oh, just… tea. I made it myself. I think."

"You think?" Flowey inquired. "I don't understand. Aren't you the one making the tea?"

"Yes," Finrick said and quickly scratched his neck. "Yes, I am."

Flowey leaned closer to Frisk.

"He doesn't know what's in his own tea," Flowey whispered. "Welp, it was nice knowing you two."

He leaned back while MK snorted.

"Hey, is it cannibalism for you if you drink tea?" Frisk inquired.

"Is it cannibalism if a human eats another mammal like a cow?" Flowey responded. "Yeah, I know about that… human practice."

"Ah, good point," Frisk simply said and nodded.

"Huh?" MK inquired. "Yo, Flowey, where you saying something?"

"Nothing!" Flowey said.

"Yeah, nothing," Frisk reaffirmed.

Finrick came into the room, a tray in his hands and a lit joint in his mouth. The green smoke covered the room alongside the stench, and Frisk had to cough out some of the invading smog.

"S-sorry," Finrick said without looking at her.

"No worries," Frisk said, holding her mouth. "I'm used to this."

His shaky tray held three bottles of wobbling tea cups and a large dish containing what resembled a muddy black brick.

He placed the tray on the kitchen table and then handed each one of his guests a single teacup.

"Yo, mister?" MK began. "Can I have a straw-"

A small wooden straw quickly plopped into their cup.

"-or something."

Frisk looked down at her foul-smelling cup. The tea itself was dark green and incredibly muddy, making it hard to discern what kind of herbs were even in it.

The heat from the smoke burned her cheeks, and Frisk was afraid to put her fingers close to everything except the handle.

"I don't want any," Flowey said and put the cup down.

"Oh, but do try at least!" Finrick said with a smile. "It's my, erm, It's my m-mother's recipe. The Angel rest her soul."

"Nah," Flowey repeated. "I'm good."

"Y-you really should," Finrick insisted.

There came a sound of intense slurping of a straw. MK was sucking very intensely. It seemed there was nothing else going on in the world for them.

"Nah, I said I'm good," Flowey said after some thinking.

"Well, you can always have some of the brownies-" Finrick said.

"No thanks," Flowey quickly said.

"It is really good, actually-"

"I said no," Flowey replied with growing impatience. "Geez."

"Welp," Finrick sai, looking visibly disappointed. "I-it's here if you change your mind."

"Hey, dude?" Frisk began. "I just wanted to say thank you so much for taking us in."

"Oh, don't worry," Finrick said, smiling awkwardly. "D-don't worry, it's no- it's n-n- it's no… n-n-n… n-no… no-"

He sighed.

"It's no pr-problem," he whispered.

"Good thing you don't even care to ask why we're out here, eh?" Flowey said, eyeing the fish man with suspicion.

"I, erm, just don't want to be r-rude," Finrick said, grinning nervously.

"Sorry about my friend here," Frisk said. "He doesn't trust strangers very often."

"Yeah, erm, that would be a good thing, wouldn't it?" Finrick asked.

"I didn't say it couldn't be," Frisk said. "Honestly, I do get where he's coming from."

"Evidently not," Flowey replied.

"Not that you're worthy of suspicion or anything," Frisk said. "It's… it's just been a rough journey, is all."

She took a sip from the tea.

Sizzling magma consumed her tongue. Immense pain left its mark in only half a second of agony. Before her mind could even grasp the situation, her body had spat out the scalding liquid.

Not a single drop of the tea remained in her mouth.

Finrick looked absolutely stunned.

"Oh god," Frisk muttered.

"Frisk?" MK inquired.

"Frisk, are you okay?!" Flowey quickly said intensely.

The flower turned toward the fish with an angry look.

"You bastard, what are you-?!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Finrick said as if he were terrified beyond relief. "I-I-I'm so sorry, I forgot to tell you it's hot, it's hot, I FORGOT, I FORGOT!"

"Ugh, i-its ok, dude," Frisk said with an ugly expression. "It's just… god, it's hot. I think I burnt my tongue."

"Oh, no worries!" Finrick said with a forced smile. "I think I have some, erm, ointment."

"Oh no, no, no," Frisk said. "It's not that bad. I'm not dying or anything, no worries."

"Ah, great," Finrick said. "Wouldn't want you to die. Er- n-not like that was a possibility. It's just, erm-"

He shut his mouth and leaned back in his seat.

"You're not eating?" MK asked.

"Not hungry, no," Finrick said. "I've been smoking too much. Speaking of, I-is it ok if I smoke in here."

"I'd rather not," Flowey stated.

"Heh," Frisk muttered.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," Frisk said. "It's just that where I come from, smoking pot gives you the opposite effect. It gives you, like, a super appetite."

"Frisk," Flowey said.

"Oh, sorry," Frisk replied. "I meant in Apetown, obviously."

Whew, spoke too much, she thought.

"How do you smoke pot?" MK inquired. "You mean you smoke out of it?"

"Oh, it's a slang term for weed," Frisk stated. "Keep forgetting everyone here doesn't speak the same term."

"I've met a lot of- erm, I've met a lot of p-p-people," Finrick stated. "But I've never heard anyone s-sp-s-c-ca-ca-call weed "pot" before."

"I think it's… regional?" Frisk excused. "I've never heard anyone call it Baron's Breath until a few days ago."

"Oh, Baron's Breath is not the same as weed," Finrick explained. "It's… it's its own thing. And it's better. It came to The Underground recently and is very popular. A-and for good reasons too! It has a lot of useful remedies and effects."

"It can be pretty dangerous, though," Flowey refuted. "The amount of magic used in it is… it can't be healthy. It can't be healthy for your brain, can't be healthy for your spirit. I've seen it first hand. Remember Papyrus?"

"Yeah, l-like I said," Finrick replied. "T-tragic. But I wouldn't hasten to blame the herb for it! It's just a plant. T-t-th-think of it as a stronger weed, a-a-and in terms of drugs, w-weed isn't that bad."

"Yes, but it's not just weed," Flowey replied. "It's a weed plant mutated beyond normalcy. Whatever benefits it'd bring is ruined by, well, by everything."

"I-it helps me speak," Finrick stated. "When I smoke enough, I-I can speak n-n-n-normally again."

"Again, hmm?" Flowey responded with eyes narrowed. "Tell me, is that because the plant helps you calm down, or your body's and soul's dependence on Baron's Breath can't function without it?"

Finrick leaned back, looking unsure of himself. His eyes went everywhere across the room, ending towards MK and Frisk.

"Erm, Flowey?" Frisk inquired. "Just let it go, ok?"

"Ugh, fine," Flowey stated.

"Well, I have to admit," Finrick began. "Y-you do have some interesting p-points. But I'll agree to disagree."

"Sure," Flowey stated.

The flower leaned his head down.

"But I'm still right, of course," he whispered.

"Where did it come from?" MK inquired. "I haven't heard any mention of it with anything older than ten years."

"Well, everything comes from somewhere or something, right?" Finrick inquired with a smile.

"Ah, philosopher much?" Flowey replied snarkily. "But seriously, where? You're a herbalist, right?"

"I… I don't know," Finrick simply said.

"Really now?" Flowey inquired.

"I-if I recall," Finrick explained. "It just… s-showed up one day."

"Yo, maybe it came from the surface?" MK suggested. "Lots of weird stuff comes from the surface."

"How could it have come from the surface?" Frisk inquired. "Assuming it, erm, exists up there. I wouldn't know, of course, ahem."

"Maybe someone brought it," Flowey stated. "Or it fell."

"Maybe it came with Mickey?" MK suggested.

Finrick's mouth was shut in a straight line. His hands jittered more than usual, and he moved uneasily around his seat.

"You know him?" Frisk asked, sensing something was up.

"Heh, e-everyone's heard of M-Mmm-Mi-Mickey," Finrick spoke with difficulty, his neck forming sweat. "But I have heard some… some stories. Tales some people s-speak of him."

"Such as?" Flowey inquired.

Finrick looked momentarily downward as if to avoid eye contact intentionally.

"I've heard he's h-h-hurt people," he said. "Badly. And slowly. Sometimes, in front of many others."

"It's true," MK muttered, looking down.

"Yep, can confirm," Flowey stated.

"Yeah, me three," Frisk stated.

Finrick looked like he was desperately trying to hide his unease.

"Is it t-t-true?" he inquired. "About the Blood Knuckle? Is that a t-thing?"

"Gods, I hope not," Flowey stated. "Sounds a bit too farfetched but… but I've seen what he's capable of."

"What is that?" MK inquired.

"It's painful," Flowey stated. "A sort of torture method Mickey supposedly created. That's all you need to know."

"I-I've heard some of my workers speak that he's an… an… an-" Finrick muttered, staring at the floor.

"A what?" Frisk asked softly.

Finrick rugged back and forth in his seat, then pulled his legs up and hugged them. For a moment, his mouth seemed to motion some words.

"An angel of death," he whispered. "And that we are all unworthy of his gaze."

He took a deep breath and grasped his chest.

"I…I need to, um, go," Finrick suddenly said. "H-help yourself to some- erm-"

He quickly stood up and ran out of the room. His footsteps were heard throughout the house, stomping, growing lesser until they could no longer be heard.

"Huh, that was mildly suspicious," Flowey said.

"Dunno, seems more like he's just terrified," MK said. "I don't blame him. He must know Mickey."

There came an awkward, silent pause.

"So…" Frisk began. "Now what?"

"We could leave," Flowey said. "If we go now without any more pauses, we could reach Hotland within the next day or so."

"True, but… I don't know," Frisk said. "That'd be rude, wouldn't it?"

"Wouldn't be your first time "being rude"," Flowey replied. "Remember the librarian from Snowdin?"

"Hey, I'm only rude to assholes, ok?" Frisk responded. "This guy… this guy is just odd, but I think he means well."

"Yeah, he clearly has problems," Flowey stated.

"Let's, at least, wait until he comes back," Frisk stated.

"Not like we're on the run or anything," Flowey responded.

"Just a few minutes, ok?"

What felt like more than a few minutes passed, and there was no sign of Finrick. Thick, grotesque foams had taken hold in the cups of the undrunken tea. MK was unenthusiastically licking their plate for burnt crumbs, while Frisk's remained entirely uneaten.

A thick aura of boredom had taken hold of the air.

"How long has this guy been away?" Frisk inquired with a sigh.

"I don't know, half an hour maybe?" Flowey stated.

Feeling curious, Frisk pulled out her phone.

"Huh, it's only been six or seven minutes since you last asked me that," she said.

"Really?" Flowey asked. "Gods, it feels like forever. Hey, you're not drinking your tea?"

"Oh, right," Frisk said. "Yeah, I don't like the taste. I just didn't have the heart to tell him."

"Woah," MK suddenly said. "Yo, man, the air feels so warm in here."

"Yeah, it kind of is," Flowey stated. "For a house in the middle of nowhere, it is strangely warm, almost suspiciously so."

"Come on, Flowey," Frisk said. "Don't you think you are a bit paranoid?"

"Relax, it was a joke," Flowey said, looking around. "Mostly."

Frisk looked down at her uneaten slice of burnt brownie. She felt her stomach rumble a little.

Better than nothing, she thought.

"Either way, we've lucked out with strangers so far," Frisk stated as she reached for a fork. "The skeleton brothers, the dragon guy. Whew, man, Vladi was-"

Before her fork even touched the burnt thing, Flowey had lunged himself at it, face first, swallowing it whole.

"Hey!" Frisk said, feeling insulted. "What the hell, Flowey?! Why did you just do that?!"

"Eugh," Flowey muttered with a stuffed mouth. "Luk!"

He used his vine and pointed at a nearby window. Frisk turned and looked but saw nothing other than the usual fog.

"Ok?" she said with annoyance and confusion. "What?! What am I supposed to be looking at out there?"

Flowey swallowed the brownie bite whole, seemingly as fast as he could. A large lump formed in his "neck" that instantly vanished afterwards. The flower then seemed to grin as if he was in pain.

"No," he said, wincing. "Not outside. Look at the window!"

Frisk sighed but decided to entertain him.

She looked at the glass itself as intently as she could bother. Then, she spotted something strange. Something strange yet familiar.

On the edges of the glass were very subtle purple-ish serpentine patterns.

"Hang on a sec," Frisk said. "Is that-"

"Magi-glass, yes," Flowey confirmed. "Why would a hermit in the middle of nowhere own magi-glass? One of the most expensive and hard to make glass in the kingdom."

"Erm, I don't know," Frisk admitted. "That is odd, but… but I'm not sure if it means anything. Maybe he just has more money than it seems?"

"Look around," Flowey stated. "Every other window I can see in the entire house so far is covered with magi-glass. What kind of herbalist can afford this many quantities of, may I remind you, this super expensive glass and no furniture? And why?"

"Maybe he's, I don't know, from a rich family?" Frisk said. "Or maybe he just inherited this house from some rich relative, and he decided to keep the windows because i-it looks cool? Or maybe he just, erm, doesn't like noises?"

"I get what you're doing, Frisk. But you're grasping at straws here. Not to mention, nothing makes noise out here this far."

"I don't know. Maybe, egh. Look, Flowey, I admit it. This magi-glass thing does feel a bit… suspicious."

"Thank you."

"I… I just think that, maybe, there is a reasonable explanation. There has to be."

"There is one. This guy is clearly hiding something, and we need to get the hell out. We've been lucky with strangers so far, yes. But luck sure as hell isn't infinite."

Frisk began to ponder.

"MK?" she asked. "What do you think?"

"Wuh-what?" MK said as if jolted awake. "Sorry, I… I wasn't paying attention. Dozed off a bit."

"This fishhead's entire house has windows made of magi-glass," Flowey explained.

"Yo, really?" MK asked, surprised. "Huh, maybe he has a lot of money."

"That is what we were thinking," Flowey said.

"One thing I don't get, though," Frisk said. "Why did that proc you to eat my slice?"

"Mmhm," Flowey said. "Well, when I saw the windows, I, erm- I freaked out and assumed it was poisonous. And since I'm a flower, I'm immune to poison. I think. Well, the bad news is I didn't taste any trace of poison. Eh-heh…"

"Hmm," Frisk said. "Sure, what you say."

"The good news is that it tasted terrible either way," Flowey said and groaned.

"You could've also just warned me."

"Yes, I could've."

"I'm… I'm so tired," MK said sleepily.

"Yeah, kid, we all are," Flowey stated.

And with that, a large thunk came as MK landed face-first on the floor.

"Holy crap!" Frisk said and quickly rose from her seat in startlement.

MK's eyes were closed, and saliva leaked out from their mouth, turning to dust as it left.

Frisk ran up to the kid, grabbing them with panic.

"MK!" she said. "MK, are you there?!"

MK said nothing, but they breathed softly and incredibly peacefully.

"Flowey, what happened?" Frisk asked nervously.

"I… huh, they're asleep," Flowey answered. "Just like that."

"Really?" Frisk said. "Well, to be fair. They didn't sleep at all last night, so figures."

"Yeah…" Flowey stated. "Figures."

Soft snoring started coming from MK. Their body moved in a steady rhythm with their breath.

"Should… should we just leave them like this?" Flowey suggested.

"No, obviously not," Frisk said, standing back up. "Were you going to-"

"Oh, no, no," Flowey reassured. "Just wanted to ask. Just in case."

"Just in case what? That I was going to leave them?"

Flowey rolled his eyes as if he was insulted.

"Very funny," he muttered.

"Sorry?" Frisk asked.

"Nothing."

"Well," Frisk began. "I think we should at least take this opportunity to look around. Since it doesn't seem like he's not coming back anytime soon. Plus, assuming Finrick is up to something, he'd probably be working on it now. So I'm also thinking of finding him."

"You want to give your polite goodbyes?" Flowey inquired.

"Not in the mood right now," Frisk said.

"Fine," Flowey stated. "I'll stay with MK. You go check out the rest of the house for the oddball and bring him here. I want him to, well, explain a few things. Something's clearly afoot here, and I'm not going to rest until I'm confident he won't stab us in the sleep."

"Geez, morbid much," Frisk said. "Alright, you're the boss."

"Thanks, always appreciate the compliment," Flowey said, smiling snarkily.

"It wasn't a-" Frisk began. "Nevermind."

With that, she stood up and headed for the door. She gave one worried glance back at her two companions and then exited.

Alright, big house, where to start? Frisk thought.

Author's note:

A bit "talky" this chapter.

And ironically, I don't have much to say in the notes, lol.

Either way, in this new chapter, the gang is hanging out with the new weirdo, Finrick. As it turns out, he may have a few secrets of his own. What secrets? Well, you just have to find out.

They also speak. A lot. They speak about snails, food, and... drugs.

You heard it here folk, what you always wanted to see. Flowey talking about drugs.

(Some of you may or may not have guessed where I'm going with this, but I won't spoil too much)

I will say, I'm so sorry for the delay of this update. Frankly, the reason for it was this was originally going to be waaaayyyyy longer, but as usual, I split it into two chapters. On the good news, that means the next chapter's first draft is FULLY FINISHED. I just need to run over it, make some fine changes, and then it's ready to release hopefully this weekend.

Until then, I hope you keep reading and stay tuned.