Chapter Text
Ralsei hears a peppy knock at his door. He opens it by a crack, peering out of his own personal haven.
Flowery. Who else?
“I know I said I wouldn’t bother you,” he starts, and Ralsei recalls not really believing him on that point, “but there’s someone I want you to meet.”
“Right now…?” Ralsei is skeptical.
“I mean, sure, I’m headed that direction,” Flowery replies, looking over his shoulder into the great castle halls. “Unless you’ve already been busy running around our Castle and making friends?”
“I-! I’ve been… settling in,” Ralsei counters, but without much confidence. He hasn’t felt much reason to leave. Isolation is familiar.
“So, now in’s all settled, you should come hang out.”
Ralsei tries to reply, but he can’t quite think of the words. He’s not entirely certain what he wants to do regardless.
“I won’t force you, but… It would give a very special flower a lot of smiles if you came along.”
Ralsei takes a short breath. Stretching his legs might be good, and, even if these flowers will never reside in Castle Town… It would be good to meet them all regardless. Most of them have been really pleasant, after all.
“...It's not the worst idea,” Ralsei concludes, stepping out of his room and locking the door behind him. “I’d… love to be introduced to this ‘special flower’”.
“Oh! When I said that, I just meant myself,” Flowery returns.
Most of them.
They head to the east wing of the castle, a maze of screen doors and hallways. Aqua’s laughter echoes in the far corners, the youngest flower otherwise unseen. The suns hardly reach this part of the castle, darkness etching itself in the background, bright lamps strung above to light the way.
It isn’t long before they arrive at a ledge at least twice Ralsei’s own height. Flowery, thinking nothing of it, jumps up to it, landing in a twirl. He peers down at Ralsei from his new perch.
“Well?” He calls down.
“Um…” Ralsei looks at the nearby statue. “Kris took the Petal Feather with them.”
“...C’mon, Raly. We both know you don’t need that thing!”
Ralsei demonstrates a few clumsy hops on the spot, as though to prove a point. “Of course I do.”
Flowery shuts his eyes, a little disappointed. “Actually, it’s no big deal.” He reaches up to his head and plucks something out - what would have been a strand of hair shapes itself into a golden feather, which he lets slip from his fingers, drifting all the way down. Ralsei catches it in his palm. Per the established trend, it has Flowery’s face on it.
* Feathery.
Ralsei pockets the feather, and allows himself to feel weightlessness returning in his legs. Only then does he leap up to join Flowery on the ledge.
“What was all that about?” The latter asks. “You could’ve just-”
“Let’s just go,” Ralsei interrupts. He wouldn’t understand.
They continue walking, but not for very long - at a certain point, Flowery stops, bringing his hand upward, expectantly. Ralsei… hears something?
It’s faint, but it almost sounds like someone talking from behind a wall. Muffled, quiet, but if he concentrates…
He turns to where he thinks the source of the voice is, and finally sees it: a giant shadow puppet looming high above him, ‘mouth’ moving in time with the voice. The visual helps, just a little, with making out the words.
“...you’ll COWER before the MIGHTIEST HUMAN!!”
He’s missed some of the context, but he can pick it up.
“Oh! Wow, um… Your puppetry is very impressive!”
“Uh, DUH! Stop feeling impressed and start feeling SCARIED!” Their voice is so high-pitched, it’s a little difficult to feel particularly intimidated.
Flowery steps in, voice gaining a theatrical tint, “A strong opponent stands before us, Raly… But, surely, we'll be okay. After all, we're out here and she's behind that screen-!”
As though following a cue, something smashes through the screen and plummets directly into Flowery. He- stumbles, actually, falls backwards to the ground with a grunt. Ralsei senses it, immediately, Flowery’s health depleted to about half - and with his overinflated stats, that would mean…
Part of him braces for a fight, ready for the perpetrator to attack. He hadn’t expected the flowers to be hostile towards each other - at least, not to this degree. Scanning the area quickly, he finds-
A mouse. A literal mouse. Orange and tiny, waving her fists around in an adorable attempt to be menacing.
“YOU’RE NEXT, CHIBI!”
Ralsei has to stifle a laugh. But, then-
Flowery drags himself off the floor. “Your punches are packing harder than ever, Orange!” With a snap of his fingers, he heals himself to full.
Right. Faking it.
“I’ve been training! Asgore will never have to worry again! I’ll PUNCH all his fears away! Just you see!” Orange turns to look at Ralsei. “Well, what are YOU standing there for? Get ready to EAT FISTS!”
“Woah! Hold on, Orange, this is Raly. He’s a goodbuddy 4life.”
“Hmph,” Orange stops her threats momentarily. “I guess, if big bro’s cool with you, I can be nice… Just this once!” She scampers up to Ralsei, who by comparison feels like a giant. “I’m Orange!! The BESTEST, BRAVEST human you’ll ever MEET!”
Ralsei tries to stifle a laugh. “Oh, but- but, you’re just-!”
He feels a blunt jab in his side, and it takes a second to register that Flowery has just quietly elbowed him, with more force than he’d expect.
“You’re-! So… impressive! For a human! You’ve got so much… strength… condensed into such a… nimble form!”
“Y-yeah! That’s right!” Orange appears to accept Ralsei’s strained praises. “Gee, it must be difficult for you. Not being as good a human as me.”
“Huh?”
“But, I bet Flowery could help you work on it!” Orange smiles up, almost teasingly. “You should start by wearing a hat, I think.”
“I’m fine, thanks,” Ralsei replies through gritted teeth, amusement quickly giving way to annoyance.
“Orange, we’re all trying our best to be the people we want to be, right?” For some reason, Flowery looks more at Ralsei than Orange while talking.
“Oh…” Orange looks, quite abruptly, more than a little downtrodden. Almost… teary-eyed? “...You’re right. I’m sorry, mister. You look… okay…”
“T-that’s alright!” Ralsei tries to smile in a friendly sort of way, that doesn’t just come across as condescending. “It’s nice to meet you, Orange.”
“And now we’re all here, you wanted something, right Orange? We’ve both got time, so just say the word!” Ralsei at no point offered his own time beyond introductions, but he senses very little say in the matter.
“...That’s right. Um, Flowery…” She approaches him, and he offers a hand for her to climb onto. He lifts her gently, not too fast, with a steady hand.
“See… Big sis needs help. She has a problem, and I don’t know how to help on my own. So I wanted you to help her!”
“...Oh!” Flowery tilts his head to the side. For a moment, he looks uncertain, but that expression quickly fades. “‘Course I’ll help. Just lead the way.”
Orange scampers off, and the two follow a slight distance behind, a brisk but manageable pace.
“Blue, I assume?” Ralsei asks, quiet enough for Orange to not hear.
“Nope,” Flowery replies with a smile. “Blue’s pretty, but he’s not a ‘big sis’.” From his cadence, it seems Flowery is about as in the dark as Ralsei is, here.
High into the upper walls of the castle, Orange leads them through a pink door into a tidy sort of room, decorated with displays of pink flowers. Petals drift behind the panels in the walls.
There’s a muttering from further in. “Stop, stop, STOP! Just- just behave!”
Flowery strides casually ahead, hands in pockets. Ralsei follows, and identifies the source of the voice. Though, not without some mild surprise.
“Big sis!” Orange jumps into the arms of... a sparkly human-like catgirl, complete with huge ears and a tail, impressively pink, gigantic bells dangling like earrings. They jingle as her head moves.
“Oh- Ory!”
“Are you okay?”
“I…” She looks up from Orange, taking note of the two strangers in her room. “I’m- fine! Great, mew! But…” Her expression scrunches up. “Who are they?”
Before Orange can reply, Flowery seizes his chance. “Howdy,” he greets, and then slides across the hardwood floor over to the catgirl. He takes her hand and plants a kiss on the back, which grows into a golden flower. (With his face on. Of course.)
“H-hyuh?!” she exclaims.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, princess.” Flowery flashes a charming grin up at her.
“Ory, WHO is this?! A-and, WHY is my heart beating faster?!”
“Pink!” Orange finally cuts in. “This is my big bro! Um, remember?”
“Name’s Flowery. Star sign: the Flower. Golden eyes. Blood type: SSS,” Flowery adds.
The catgirl (Pink?) stops quiet for a moment, bringing her other hand up to her mouth. “THAT’S?! Your big brother?!” She looks at the flower, and back at Flowery, expression unchanged - and stares for a moment, contemplating.
“...Ew,” she concludes.
Flowery looks crestfallen. It takes a mild amount of strength from Ralsei not to snicker.
“It’s okay, Pink! You… you needed help, right? Flowery’s awesome! He’s the oldest, and the goldest, and… He’s maybe even as cool as you!! So, I know he can help!”
Flowery, apparently still reeling from Pink’s comment, says nothing.
“...Actually, Ory,” Pink says through a strained smile, “I… I’m okay now, really. Let’s just… go do other things! Elsewhere!” She shoots another nervous glance to Flowery and Ralsei in turn.
“Other things elsewhere’s good,” Flowery adds, standing back up to his full height.
“-Without your brother! How’s that sound, Orange?!” Her face holds an almost manic expression.
“Um…?” Orange looks confused, mostly, eyes darting between her two siblings. “I… I guess…?”
“No problems there,” Flowery says. “Orange, go have fun with your Bigsister. I’ve gotta say hi to old Asgore, right?”
“Asgore…” Pink muses, very briefly. “Yes. Purrfect. We’ll go now. Um, goodbye.” She power walks away, Orange nestled in her hair, looking back over her shoulder for just a moment. “Um… Send Asgore my regards.” With that, she exits, leaving Ralsei and Flowery alone once more.
With Pink absent, Flowery frowns.
“...I think we met her, down on the cliffs,” Ralsei says. “She has a little shop set up there. Back then, she wasn’t as… lively?”
“...Asgore has this little anime figurine. He got it not too long ago. Always greets it whenever he walks past. Thinks of her as some sort of shop mascot.” Flowery rocks on his heels, contemplative. “Surprised I didn’t meet her sooner.”
“When we met, she seemed much more reclusive,” Ralsei replies. It’s strange - she hardly seems the same person, but Ralsei knows she is. Her voice, her demeanor, her…
He’d forgotten until now, but something Pink had said sticks out in his mind now.
“What defines you is… well, it’s your body, isn’t it?”
Odd. Her appearance was glamorous and cutesy, but she didn’t seem particularly insistent on it one way or another. So, what is it…? The way she tensed up around Flowery - on a second glance, appears to Ralsei more like… Nervousness? Her posture just a little uneasy. And, something about a problem she'd been having, so easily overcome when they’d arrived…
The line sticks in Ralsei’s head, and he’s not certain why.
“Did anything seem… off about her?”
“What, like, bad taste?” Flowery replies.
“No-!” Ralsei brings his hands up, some half hearted attempt to gesture annoyance, but he stops. “I don’t know… She seems… troubled.”
Flowery hums. “It’s not always easy. To live as something unmoving, unknowing, impressionable - and then awake to a fantasy like this.” He looks at Ralsei, something gentle on his face. “Maybe she’s still figuring it all out. Good thing she’s got all the time she needs, right?”
The words sting. Ralsei can’t tell, at this point, if he’s doing it on purpose.
“Anyway… I’m glad you got to meet Orange!” Flowery pivots, beginning to walk off. Ralsei has no real choice but to follow. “She’s sweet, really. She works so very hard.”
“She’s, um, your sister?”
“Well… yeah. Someone’s got to stand up for her, with all the fights she picks!”
“And she’s…” Ralsei considers different wording, but figures there’s no real need for it. “She’s a mouse?”
“Orange… Can be whatever she wants,” Flowery replies. “We’re all humans. So Orange is a human, if she wants to be. Or not. It’s her decision. And, no matter what, we love her for who she is.” He stops, resting over a balcony, looking out to an orange sunset.
“...It’s very sweet of you to go along with her,” Ralsei admits.
“No ‘going along’ at all, Raly. We just see her for the wonder she is. Remember that, alright?”
…Hm. She has practically no resemblance to a human, but it’s not like the other flowers are any more human just by looking more accurate. Maybe it doesn’t matter, in the end, if she thinks she looks like one.
“She’s sensitive, sometimes. I’m glad she’s found someone else who can look out for her.”
“You’re not worried she’s replaced you with a magical anime girl?” Ralsei jokes. Flowery actually grins at it.
“I want everyone to live their dreams. If, for Orange, that means being half-adopted by a Mew Mew Kissy Cutie figurine, then, good for her!”
“When you say everyone…”
“Everyone, Raly.”
Ralsei decides not to reply. He gazes out towards the sunset. In the Light World, this would be a fleeting moment, one to catch only momentarily before the sky turns to dusk. Here, the suns hang eternal in the sky, their glow more vivid than anything he’s quite seen before.
But this world, too, is fleeting. Ralsei knows this. Flowery knows this.
Is a sunset more beautiful by nature of its impermanence? Would its glow begin to feel cold and dull, if one had seen it too many times?
Maybe, Ralsei thinks. But the warmth and beauty of this one is so striking, it’s hard to imagine.
For a moment, a thought settles in his mind - that he understands why the flowers were ready to fight to keep this world alive. Flowery especially. But it loosens its grip, again, and Ralsei once more finds it difficult to reason with - because it will end all the same. The suns will burn out, and the plants will rot away, and before long this world will be nothing more than a dark, crumbling waste.
It ends all the same. Why delay the inevitable?
(Sometimes, that’s what Ralsei feels like he’s doing. He pushes the idea deep down into his chest.)
What defines you is your body. Appearances, facades and illusions to appease other people. Ralsei disagrees, he thinks. None of that matters. No amount of faking things about yourself changes who you are or who you’re meant to be. He’ll still turn to fluff in the end.
Flowery has been - uncharacteristically, perhaps? - quiet, but now he removes himself from the railing and stretches.
“Well, little guy, I ought to be going. But you can make your way around. Think about what I said!” He strolls away with a smile and a wave. Ralsei doesn’t really know what part of Flowery’s words he should be thinking about. He’s been thinking enough as is.
He turns back to the sunset. Slowly, he brings his hands together across the railing, lowers his head towards them, and prays. He asks the Angel if there is any point to detours, and side tangents, and the scenic route. He asks the Angel if, knowing how the story ends, there is any point at all.