Flowery

Flowey's reaction to meeting Papyrus for the first time.

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	The earth felt cold around Flowey’s vines. He couldn’t truly feel the change in temperature, but his usual travel speed was impeded by the muck and frozen water in the soil. In an earlier time, he would enjoy playing in Snowdin, his fluffy coat keeping out even the most malicious of snowflakes as he would play and frolic in the snow. But now that was the last thing he wanted to think about. The numbness of his new body was still alienating, even though he couldn’t feel how things were different. His point of view on the world was a few feet down, and he could get from place to place even faster than River Person could. He could tell the difference, but no matter what, he couldn’t feel it.

	He popped his head out from the snow, shaking his petals as snow hung atop his head. The sight of pure white and green trees should have invoked nostalgia, even cheer, but Flowey just cooly scanned the new area-- everything the same from when he last visited though it was still vastly different. He noticed footprints in the snow, fresher and different from the usual dogs’ paws. Rather than the jumbled mess of half buried patrols from the canine guards, they were a perfect match pattern in a straight line. Their owner wore boots, and their owner liked precise steps.

	Flowey snaked along the path, tracking this new, alien being. From the looks of it, this new guard should be the perfect soldier, a sheer upgrade from the old band of misfits that were hired to sniff out for escapee teens and humans alike. His pace was swift, but not careless. His capability to walk straight in such cold weather was something to look up to, such stoicism required for this harsh climate.

	As Flowey was following and thinking about this new guard, he didn’t notice the orange pair of boots that he collided headfirst into.

	The flower shook his head, looking up at the new obstacle. “Hey! I was walking here!”

	Papyrus turned around and looked down at the new intruder. “WHY HELLO! I’M SORRY THAT I WAS IN YOUR WAY, BUT IT SEEMS THAT HAVE YOU WALKED INTO ME.” The skeleton’s smile grew somehow brighter as he noticed that Flowey was a new face. “OH HOW RUDE OF ME, I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF! I AM THE GREAT, AND MIGHTY PAPYRUS. WHO ARE YOU, MY NEW FLORAL FRIEND?”

	Flowey’s smile beamed as he spoke with practiced ease, “Howdy Papyrus! I’m Flowey, Flowey the Flower!”

	“NICE TO MEET YOU, FLOWERY.”

	Flowey cocked his head. “It’s Flowey.”

	“YES.”

	The flower blinked, looking Papyrus up and down before shaking his head. He didn’t look that intimidating, though not many of the guards in the Underground did. He intended to befriend everyone he could, and after the awkward time in the Royal Garden and Ruins this was his first chance to meet someone new.

	“Well, Papyrus, it’s nice to meet ya! I’m guessing you’re the new guard around here, eh?” He winked and nudged Papyrus’s shin bone with a vine.

	“W-WELL I WOULDN’T SAY THAT…” The skeleton looked down, his face drooping.

	“What do ya mean?” Flowey looked at Papyrus’s armor, which was campy at best, but it was still armor. “You look like one.”

	“I DO?!” Papyrus looked excitedly at the flower before turning somber again. “I GUESS, BUT UNDYNE SAYS I’M TOO NICE TO BE A GUARD.”

	“Too nice?”

	“I KNOW, RIGHT? BUT I’M AFRAID THAT SHE IS IN FACT CORRECT. I COULDN’T HURT A FLY, AND I’VE TRIED!”

	“That’s a real shame. So do you just walk around the forest for fun then?”

	Papyrus looked up in Pride, closing his eyes and putting his fist to his chest for dramatic effect. “NO, I AM THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IF ANYONE WERE TO COME FROM THE RUINS! I HAVE MANY PUZZLES AND JAPES IN CASE ANY HUMAN WERE TO COME!”

	“But you just said you weren’t a guard.”

	“I’M NOT, BUT UNDYNE MADE ME AN HONORARY ONE! IT ISN’T LIKELY THAT A HUMAN WILL COME, BUT IF THEY DO I AM SURE TO CAPTURE THEM! THEN FINALLY UNDYNE WILL PUT ME IN THE GUARD!”

	Flowey kept smiling. It was obvious that he was posted here out of pity, which would’ve spiked a pang of empathy from him if he could. He decided to change the subject. “Well do you patrol out here all alone?”

	“OF COURSE NOT. DO YOU THINK I’M DAFT? I HAVE MY BROTHER HELP ME IN MY SEARCH, AS WELL AS HAVING THE DOGS AS BACK UP. THOUGH MY BROTHER WOULD RATHER SLEEP THAN DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME, AND THE DOGS RARELY TALK TO ME. MOST PEOPLE IN SNOWDIN DON’T.”

	“I see…” Flowey said, angry at himself for not being able to feel sad, “and does your brother want to be a guard as well?”

	“GOODNESS, NO! AND EVEN IF HE DID THERE’S NO WAY THAT THEY’D ACCEPT A LAZY BONES LIKE HIM. JUST BECAUSE WE’RE RELATED DOESN’T MEAN HE HAS NEARLY AS HIGH OF A WORK ETHIC AS I DO.”

	“So you guys don’t get off on the right foot then?”

	“OF COURSE WE DO! HE’S MY BEST FRIEND! AS MUCH AS I HATE HOW LAZY HE IS, I’D NEVER WISH HIM GONE. HE’S THE ANCHOVIES TO MY LINGUINI!”

	Flowey’s face turned puzzled. “Anchovies?”

	“OF COURSE! IT’S PART OF MY SECRET RECIPE!” Papyrus looked excited. “I HAVE SOME IF YOU WISH TO TRY IT! MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR THE TWO OF US!”

	“I-I think I’ll pass. Actually, I’m pretty sure I have to go.”

	“OH THAT IS NO PROBLEM! THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT TIME. AND YOU CAN HELP ME TEST OUT PUZZLES!”

	“Yeah! I’ll see you then, Papyrus!”

	With that, Flowey dove back into the cold, wet ground and wriggled about on his way. Though he couldn’t really appreciate it, the trip was a bit more enjoyable than it was before.