genessia | The Start of a New Game...?

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The Start of a New Game...?

At first, it felt just like home, in the dank twilight of the cavern. It was only the insistent sound of water that roused the flower to open his eyes, met with... what was this? A tube? No, it's some kind of machine, with small parcels scattered around the small pot in which Flowey was situated. With a confused glance at the odd surroundings, the buttercup heaves himself into his usual standing position, grabbing the letter in his leaves and scanning the contents, non-existent brows furrowing at the calm welcome and 'explanation' of the current situation.

Flowey sighs, shaking his petals at the absurdity of the whole situation, before a hint of panic settles in. Squeezing his eyes shut, he searches for his SAVE file. 20 tense seconds later, he finds it... but cannot reach it. The RESET button was missing as well! Trembling from petals to stem, he checks his STAT.

FLOWEY LV 1 HP 20/20

"...it's all... gone..." The flower whispers, eyes snapping open to the harsh reality of this... place.

'Well, nothing to lose now', he thinks bitterly, picking up the bracelet-sized necklace and fastening it in the only secure place, between his large yellow petals and smaller green sepals, the tiny pendant all but invisible once in place. Next comes the odd rectangle, the 'videophone' as the letter called it, tucked into a thoughtfully provided pouch, as if those who brought the flower knew he lacked pockets. A humorless chuckle escapes as Flowey notices the bag has a separate slot for the enclosed bills.

'It's so convenient, it almost could be considered comforting if it wasn't so darned creepy!'

He hangs the pouch in the same place as the necklace, warily scanning the environment for the way out- oh right, the pot. An irritated huff, and then Flowey flings himself towards the edge of the pod, turning sideways and rolling with the momentum. To anyone else's eyes, it'd be a comical sight, but right now it was a matter of escape. A sizable 'thunk' echoes throughout the cave when the pot hits the ground, spilling dirt onto the floor. Wasting no time, the buttercup buries his roots into the waiting soil, feeling the expanse of the connected ground and effortlessly diving underneath.

Flowey surfaces at random, twisting his head to take in the vast sky, the distant impossibly large buildings, far, far bigger than anything he'd ever seen. The palace wasn't even close to being that tall! The flower pauses, petals swaying in the slight breeze, his leaves tilting towards the sun's warmth. Surely there was no harm in staying here for a while, just looking at the brand new landscape, right?

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[Sans was having a fine stroll around the town after a nice nap and a snack. That Bright Sky Diner has some good stuff.

But then, he spots something familiar. Of all the people, but oh well. He approached the little flower, greeting him with his perpetual grin.]

"...'s like turning over a new leaf, huh?"

The buttercup's stem twitches at the familiar voice, his head frozen in place for a second before his expression sours. Flowey twists around to stare at the short skeleton he knew was there, one 'brow' raised in disbelief that of all the monsters in all the Underground it had to be him. Of course it was Sans, had anything else gone right this insane mess of a day?

"You. Just perfect." Flowey spat out his words, his usual bubbly façade nowhere to be found. "Cracking jokes? Now? It's as if we were back home, and not just tossed without warning into some strange... whatever this is!" Green foreleaves jerk upwards in a gesture vaguely similar to throwing one's hands up in frustration.

The little flower curves his stem backwards, looking up sullenly at the ever-grinning skeletal figure. "What do you want with me? Don't you have that lanky loudmouth to watch?"

"...heh..."

[Sans pretends to have his feelings hurt. All he wanted to do was be nice to the ~~weed~~little buttercup. He finally shrugs a moment as he speaks.]

"...don' need anything from ya. It's just...there's no point in bein' serious. Won' change anything.

...'sides. Papyrus isn't here... You and I... We're the only ones from the Underground."

The corners of the flower's mouth twitch upwards, a malicious glint in his eyes as his stem straightens, swaying slowly from side to side in a serpentine manner. "Awwwh~" Flowey coos in a syrupy-sweet voice, "You couldn't possibly be missing that naive simpleton, are you~?"

The twisted flower's grin widens, gaze boring into Sans' eyesockets relentlessly. "What a shame. Wonder how he's doing now, huh?" A sharp crackling can be heard as Flowey's grin splits across his face, needle-like teeth populating the oddly dark maw.

"D'ya think he's searching for you? Or has he given up?" Dark chuckling leaks out as the plant's smile distends further.

"Or perhaps nothing's changed."

[Sans is crying on the inside. So hurtful! Sure, he misses that bone-head of a brother, but there's really nothing he or anyone else can do, so Sans sees no point in talking about it or speculating on what's happening at the Underground.]

"...Uh... We're supposedly clones. So... Time's stopped back home. ...All of your words? Hollow..."

[His eye sockets completely black out as he learned down to get his skeletal face into Flowey's.]

"...Just like you..."

Edited (typos and revisions galore) 2016-04-02 14:12 (UTC)

The grotesque mockery of a plant keeps swaying, his rhythmic back-and-forth almost hypnotizing. Flowey falls silent at the skeleton's words, contemplating. His distended grin cracks open further, the usually flat disk of the flower's face pushing outwards into a facsimile of a skull, matching Sans' threatening stance.

"I've been empty for a long time now, y'know? That's not gonna change." At least the cursed laughing has stopped. "The real question is, how long until you end up just like me?"

One of the places Flowey surfaced was next to Koishi. She was thoughtfully munching on what looked like a bone, tapping her feet, and gazing off into the distance. She was... actually hard to notice. In fact Flowey might not have noticed her at all if he hadn't popped up quite so close.

Blinking, the little youkai turned her glowing eyes downward, focusing on the flower. She pulled the last bit of bone from her mouth, swallowing and leaning in. "Ah... Oh! Hello there!" A blue sphere drifted up a ways, the blue cords attached to it also floating without any real source. At least she wasn't as over-excited as she usually was. "I've never seen you before."

If he could, Flowey would have fallen over in surprise- as it was his stem jolted backwards, leaving the flower awkwardly swaying back and forth to reestablish his balance. The buttercup was about to shoot back a sarcastic 'Hello' before he catches sight of the strange girl before him, tilting his head askew in confusion. He'd always been able to sense souls, so why couldn't he now? Better be polite, just to be safe.

"H-howdy! I'm Flowey, the flower!" Strained at first, the usual chipper tone returns to the plant's voice within seconds, his head bobbing slightly on its thin stem. "I've never seen you before either- In fact, I'm new here! What's your name, Miss?"

Koishi didn't respond right away, leaning in closer. Her glowing eyes marked her as something clearly inhuman, despite her humanoid appearance. Her head inclined several degrees to one side. "I'm Koishi Komeiji little flower I'm a satori youkai, but don't worry. I can't read minds anymore... And I've never seen one quite like you before."

She shifted into a kneeling position, using a thumb to tilt her hat up. It was almost as if she were staring right through Flowey. "You're strange." Well, that was rude. "There's something peculiar about your mind." The atmosphere seemed to shift, the flower feeling a deep sense of calm. "... Curious. I don't think..." She tilted her head the other way.

"Chipped. Fractures running through with clean and rough lines. It's quite graceful, really..." She was mumbling to herself.

Now, Flowey was no stranger to bizarre creatures, the Underground was full of them... but the juxtaposition of a (relatively) normal young child with otherworldly eyes was still rather unnerving... wait was that an eyeball floating near her shoulder?

The flower's eyes widen a bit, his petaled head mirroring the satori's as his stem sways lightly, so absorbed in his observation he nearly misses her words. A silent moment passes, before Koishi's seemingly nonsensical statements coalesce into coherency. "H-Hey, you couldn't possib-" The buttercup's thoughts are cut off by a foreign sensation, almost like a light blanket surrounding him with warmth... Something he hadn't felt in so, so very long.

"Y-you're doing that." The quaver in Flowey's voice is negligible, but the tremble of his leaves isn't. "You... you can tell." A statement, no questions needed.

Thankfully, the aura of peace provides just enough of a barrier to stave off outright panic, but the flower's shivers belie his disquiet.

Koishi sat back a little, the aura wavering, pressuring his mind in various ways. He felt the brief edges of anger, sadness, fear... And then that empty calm. She was sifting through his emotions. "But it's only some. That's really peculiar."

She was rather absorbed in her work until, blinking, she finally registered Flowey's words. "Oh... Oh!" She shook her head. "I'm sorry. My head isn't right sometimes. Yes, I can tell because I'm like that too. All empty. But I don't have anything left. Or just tiny tiny bits." The strange aura settled down, becoming one of tranquility. Neither joy nor sorrow, but not wholly unpleasant either.

She smiled. How could she smile?

"You're quite good at faking it too. You must have worked very hard on it. It took me years to figure out how before I learned to reflect emotions."

Edited (grammar. how does it work?) 2016-04-02 19:33 (UTC)

Each time Koishi prodded his mind, the flower would flinch and draw back, until the buttercup was nearly curled in upon himself in a pitiful cower. "S-stop it... s-stop...!" Flowey's trembling only intensifies, his voice somehow becoming smoother, higher pitched. "L-leave my mind a-alone...!" It could be just a trick of the light, but it almost looks like the flower's face was pushing itself outwards...

Once the pressures and emotions fade, Flowey quiets, his quivering enough to be heard as a quiet rustle of foliage. After the few seconds it took to register Koishi's words, he moves his head to point back towards the green-haired girl, tears spilling out from faintly green-tinted eyes. "Y-you... too? But... with nothing left..."

Between muted sniffles, dark chuckles leak out. 'Standing' up once more, Flowey mutters, more to himself than his current company, "That would be better."

Koishi tilted her head. "I'm not going to hurt your mind. Don't worry. I was just seeing if there was anything there I could see." She sat back on her heels, setting her hands in her lap, head cocked, hat skewed a bit to one side. She didn't move though her eyes brightened significantly at someone's approach and dimmed just as smoothly as they passed.

Her expression didn't change, though Flowey could feel her power and aura shifting slowly. Far more subtle than before. Searching without pressuring. "It's strange though, that you say that. I'd love to feel something. Even if it was just negative." She looked up. "Even pain is enough to remind you that you're alive. At least that's the impression I've gleaned from humans. I'd envy them if I had the capacity to."

She looked back at the flower. She was still smiling. It was almost eerily genuine though it seemed more out of place than it was before. "I like being around humans and their emotions though. To feel echos through them. Just out of reach. It's almost like teasing, but that's the best I can do... It's hard to not want to get more out of them though." She shrugged. "But I suppose I only have myself to blame."

The flower was still shivering intermittently, but at least he wasn't flinching anymore at the sensation of Koishi's power upon his mind. It certainly wasn't comfortable, this... observation, but it was much preferred over the invasive pressure of before. His face had flattened back into its normal disk, all hints of color gone from his wary eyes. A mirthless snort escapes at the youkai's justification. "It doesn't matter if you didn't intend to hurt me, my mind is all that I have left." Flowey's voice slips towards impassiveness, turning his petaled head away from Koishi. "And isn't it just the way it is, to yearn and desire what we cannot have? It's never enough."

Bitterness creeps back into the plant's words, the same slow, creeping venom which had already tainted Flowey's outlook. He turns to look at the child-like creature once more, a false grin curving the edges of his mouth. "Teasing is exactly how it seems... Permanently just out of reach, taunting, daring you to rip it directly from the source..." The slight swaying starts again, back and forth, like the pacing of a caged animal. "And if it still persists, the urge to crush it entirely."

"You have more than a mind. You have power, that I can tell. And a definitive physical form. You are also an aesthetically pleasing flower, which is more than I can say for some of the other plants I've seen." Her third eye was open a sliver, staring blindly somewhere up and to the left, resting on her knees.

"... But you're right though. Nothing is ever enough." Her face fell a little bit. "I suppose I still care a little bit since I try not to think about it. A hundred years doesn't make things easier." She wavered a bit. "I'm sure if left to my own devices I would keep craving more. Fear is so rich and wonderful and the sweetness of sorrow, loss, and sentimentality are all such wonderful accents to a human's emotional spectrum. It's absolutely delicious. Both to watch and feed on. And to really draw it out and get the most out of their suffering." Her tone hadn't changed, but her expression had, that small smile gradually melting into something eerily neutral.

There was a small hesitation, Koishi's eyes dimming a little bit. "I don't do that though. It gives me nourishment but no real pleasure. The act of ending the lives of those around me doesn't bring satisfaction... Perhaps my only good fortune is that I still have a survival instinct. Adrenaline. That's always such a wonderful treat."

Her gaze traveled back up to the flower. "And I promised my sister I would do my best to remain civil. I owe her everything. So she deserves that much at least."

Dark chuckles bleed forth once more from the plant's growing maw, still swaying as he listens to Koishi's admissions. "It's little comfort, but I suppose that is true... or rather, would be if I wasn't trapped in this cursed form, this constant reminder of my failures." Flowey's eyes close briefly, yellow petals drooping slightly, before lifting his head to stare directly into the youkai's face.

"I might not gain anything but the barest sense of satisfaction, but it can be liberating- until the sensation fades, of course." A pause, the twisted guise of a plant shifting his stem into a slight curve. "That hasn't stopped me in the past, and I doubt that I could stop it from happening again."

Trickles of curiosity surface at the mention of a sibling, Flowey's head canting slightly to one side. If this 'youkai' was like him... No, she mentioned she was different, right? Either way, more mental shenanigans were quite unwelcome to the flower's mind.

Apathy saturates Flowey's tone, listless with just a hint of acridity. "If you can, be thankful you still have a sibling. Anything to ground yourself is intensely valuable." The buttercup's voice drops to a nigh-impossible whisper. "I still miss them..."

[It had been some time since Dracula had done anything to stir the pot, as it were. He'd been enjoying the carnage and chaos that descended on Everglade every time the sun set from his throne, yet even a vampire can become bored. As such, he'd taken to spending his days as a bat hanging from the ceiling of the Bay. Upon seeing the... unique new arrival, he decided to see where it went.]

[As such, every time Flowey resurfaced, a rather determined bat wouldn't be far behind. As for the bat's soul... it was there yet at the same time it wasn't. The only thing that could be said for certain is that the bat with crimson tipped wings was curious about the wandering flower.]

The living flower tore his gaze from the skyline after a silent respite, resuming his underground traveling aimlessly, criss-crossing the greener areas of Genessia's sprawling urban layout, until he finally surfaced in an ill-kept, dingy park. The grass grew in unkempt bunches, shrubs overflowing their chipped containers, with a couple dilapidated benches to complete the dismal spectacle. Even with a small pond residing near the center, the vegetation remained drab.

It was here that Flowey stopped, bright yellow petals muted by the tall olive-grey foliage. A small sigh escapes at the damp soil nearer the water's edge- even as a creature of magical origin, the coolness of water never failed to perk the buttercup up. Besides the occasional period of direct sunlight, this was all he needed.

...Though water never did a single thing for the boredom. Craning his stem over the shallow pool, Flowey twists his neutral expression into a sneer. At least he was left with his thoughts, one of the precious few things the twisted flower had left. "Stranded in some strange world, no idea of who else is here, without the slightest idea of why! Marvelous."

[The flower's movements had been difficult to track, especially through the light where he was at his weakest, but the sounds the flower made while moving underground were enough to enable the bat to follow. Of course when the flower stopped at the water's edge, and spoke, Vlad decided that perhaps it was time to introduce himself. In the blink of an eye the bat formed into a tall man, floating down next to the strange creature.]

Frustrating, is it not? I remember the same feelings of confusion and frustration sitting in when I first arrived here. However, I did not have the same... limitations as you seem to, so I cannot say what it must be like for a being such as yourself.

Pardon my manners, however. My name is Vlad, though the people usually refer to me as Dracula.

The flower's head whips towards the deep voice, craning his stem to look up at the statuesque figure suddenly before him. Once his initial surprise wore off, Flowey let himself settle into a more comfortable curve, though there was nothing he could do regarding the slightly awkward tilt of his petaled head. It would be rude to talk to a person's knees, after all.

A small, wry grin crosses the buttercup's face at Vlad's words, though there was a slight twitch at the reference of his form. "Nice to meet'cha, Vlad. ...and trust me buddy, if I could do something about it, I would. Anyways, the name's Flowey." The plant's brows quirk good-naturedly, acknowledging the rather uncreative name.

"It's gratifying to know that you're not the only fish out of water, isn't it? Though, how many fish are we talking about? I'm guessing that there must be more than just the two of us, considering the sheer size of this place."

Vlad reaches into his robes, pulling out the same pendant that Flowey had, dangling it from his fingers.

"These mark those that are from other worlds, and yes, there are quite a few of us. However... there are fewer like... us."

Over the centuries, Vlad had gotten very adept at reading tones of voice, facial expressions, and with the links he had to the flora of Castlevania, it was easy to tell this was no mere flower. "Tell me, then Flowey. What is your world like? Are there many plants like you?"

Flowey's grin widens at the creature's words and queries, sharpened 'teeth' beginning to form. He returns to hid usual upbeat tone, his petaled head bobbing slightly upon his stem, though his joyful demeanor doesn't reach the flower's face.

"I know you're not human, that much is obvious. So, let's do this- I'll tell you about myself, and then it's your turn. That's more than fair, no?" The buttercup's smile widens again with a soft crackling. "And no, I'm the only talking plant you'd find back home."

Dracula smirks, his gaze falling on the pond in front of them. "Tit for tat, eh?" He chuckles. "I see no harm in that, I've never hid my inhumanity. In fact I wear it as a badge of honor."

The grin widens a bit, revealing the tip of vicious fangs. "I am a thing that is known either as vampire or nosferatu. We are beings of darkness. We can walk in the daylight - much to the confusion of the ignorant masses - however the sun weakens us. Younger vampire have to consume the blood of humans to survive, and when a vampire feeds on a human, there is a chance that they become a vampire as well. However, I am... unique. I was created out of one man's hatred for the God almighty, by fusing his soul with the soul of a powerful vampire lord. The result was something entirely new. I am neither Matthias Cronqvist nor Walter Bernhardt. They simply do not exist, and I am what was created from that fusion."

He extends a hand over the water, putting some of his power into it, as Mermen began to launch themselves out of the water like missiles, landing and kneeling in a circle around them.

"Likewise, I do not simply feed on the blood of humans. Blood for me is simply the vessel, the path that the soul takes. I consume the souls of my enemies, and those that willingly offer them to me, and in me they find new life, new meaning."

He turns his hand upward, and snaps his fingers as the mermen all burst into flames, quickly leaving behind only skeletons that themselves crumble into dust and blow away in the wind. "...Is that a sufficient explanation, sir Flowey?"

The twisted flower listens to Dracula's speech with rapt attention, his energetic movements stilling as the manic grin splitting his face slowly returns to a neutral smile. When the vampire mentions his status, Flowey's eyes widen marginally, cocking his head to one side- and then fish-creatures burst forth from the formerly stagnant pond, hunchbacked scaled things that felt oddly empty... Flowey can't help but flinch away from the nearest hulking beast, before focusing back on the vampiric lord. There's a noticeable tremble to his leaves at Dracula's next words, as the intense, pulsating power of the other's strange soul finally clicks into place.

'...Be useful. If you can't be useful, then at least be interesting! Remember those stupid etiquette lessons!' The flower's thoughts scream, as he curves his stem deeply into a bow, or as close as he possibly could. "It most certainly is, Lord Dracula." Flowey's demeanor had flipped, the cocky plant now rather demure. "If I'm truthful, so far you are the only being I've felt worthy to hear the full story, both of my world and of myself. All I ask is that you not repeat it." The yellow buttercup lifts himself from his bow, breathing in deeply as DETERMINATION wells up. Flowey felt the SAVE form, providing some vague sense of comfort even though it was still unreachable.

"Thousands of years ago, there was a war between humans and monsters. The humans feared monsters because we have the ability to absorb human souls, and attacked us viciously. Thousands of monsters were dusted, and yet no human souls were taken." The flower's voice gains strength as he continues, bitterness dripping out of his maw as it splits into a crooked, false smile. "The King finally surrendered, and seven magicians sealed us in exile underground. The barrier was impenetrable for us, only a power equal to that which created it would be able to destroy it. To cross it, one needed to have a soul stronger than that of a single human's. Now, while us monsters are made of magic... our souls are pitifully weak in comparison to a human's. All of us were trapped, with no escape in sight." Flowey swayed lightly, pausing for a moment as he flicked his attention back to his spectator.

"I was born after the war. And I say 'born,' because this," the yellow flower points a leaf at himself, spitting his words out vehemently, "isn't what I was originally. I was the King's son, the eventual heir, then." A harsh sigh leaves the plant's mouth, before returning to his tale. "Anyways, one day a human child fell down into the Underground. They were injured, and I brought them back to the castle. My parents adopted them, and everything was good then. Years passed. I finally had a sibling, and I wasn't alone..."

His voice trails off for a brief moment, before returning with an edge. "We had a plan. We would be the ones to finally free us all." Flowey's smile stretches into a fierce baring of jagged teeth with a wet crackle. "They poisoned themself, and died. I absorbed their soul, and then we pushed through that damned barrier- it was our body then, sharing control. They picked up their empty body, and we walked to the nearest human villiage." Dark, humorless chuckles spill out from the buttercup, his face bulging out from itself until it vaguely resembled that of white, blunted muzzle. "As soon as the humans saw me, they attacked. I was frozen- I didn't want to hurt these people, even though my sibling's soul was burning to see them slaughtered. But I couldn't do it! I couldn't bear to hurt them, even as I was slashed, bludgeoned, pierced, and pelted with stones!" A manic, desperate laugh burst forth from Flowey as his visage starts melting as if it was wax, the grotesque thing nearly thrashing upon its stem. "I fought for control, and I didn't harm even a single hair on those damn humans' heads! My horns hadn't even budded, I was just a child!" His voice breaks mid-wail, eyes wild and filled with tears just waiting to be spilled.

It takes a good moment or two, but the twisted being slowly settles, his face returning to its usual flat disk. "I made my way back home, and as I stumbled into the garden, I crumbled into dust. I died there, a failure, and both my sibling's and my souls were gone. I don't know how long it was until I woke up... like this." A baleful chuckle leaks out. "Some foolish scientist was experimenting with things she shouldn't have, and this was the result."

Flowey fell silent, staring intently at the vampire lord. "Does that satisfy your curiosity, Lord Dracula?"

Edited 2016-04-09 07:30 (UTC)

Dracula listened with mild interest at first. However, as the story went forward, his interest grew until he was hanging on every word and movement the small flower made. After the story was finished, he let silence hang in the air for a long moment before speaking, his voice a hushed, soft, gentle whisper.

"You poor wretched thing..."

He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "Humans... they are a detestable lot, and yet every world seems to have one that can show some compassion. In mine, it was a woman. She was a descendant of a clan of Hunters, humans that hunted and killed creatures of the night that upset the balance of light and dark. Her name was Lisa... and her clan sought to end what they thought was the source of all darkness; me. Lisa however... where other Hunters came to my castle's gates, swords flashing and spells striking, she came with a request. A request to meet this so-called Prince of Darkness for herself."

He fixed his gaze on the body of water in front of them, hands clenched into a fist. "Over time and many visits, we fell in love. She left her clan and everything she knew behind to become my wife... even bore my son. However, humans cannot stand that sort of purity, can they? She was called a witch, and while I slept, she was burned at the stake, in front of her own son, simply for loving too unconditionally."

He turns to face Flowey, kneeling down so as to be closer to eye-level. "Humans have harmed us both, taken something very important from us. However... follow me, and not only will I do what I can to restore your body, but you will never be alone again."

He extended a hand, one finger extended farther than the rest, as if waiting for the flower to take his hand. "Together, we can make those wretched insects pay."

The cursed flower doesn’t say a word throughout Dracula’s speech. He barely even moves, only his thin leaves swaying back and forth in the slight breeze. Black pits stare through the vampire as Flowey listens, the little buttercup’s focus never once wavering from the tragic tale. Only once the undead lord makes his offer does he break his silence with a sigh, something left over from times long past.

“I’m afraid that your promise can never be fulfilled, no matter how powerful you are, Lord Dracula. You see, a monster’s SOUL is the source of our happiness, compassion, love. If Asriel Dreemurr had heard your story, he would be bawling his eyes out, besides himself with sympathy and understanding…” Flowey’s head droops, no longer able to meet Dracula’s eyes. “Right now, I feel nothing. I should feel kinship, a yearning to comfort, the sadness of loss, and yet there is only emptiness. Without compassion, I cannot even feel anger on another’s behalf, robbing me of the few emotions I can experience like this.”

A darkened, mirthless chuckle dribbles out from the flower, the sound of wet tearing accompanying his widening maw. “My soul is irrecoverable now, I was able to ‘revive’ myself once before, and that was only achieved by stealing and absorbing the souls of nearly the entire population of the Underground, along with the six human souls the King had collected from humans that had fallen into our wretched prison- And even with that Godlike power, I was unable to stop one remarkably kind, DETERMINED human child from showing me the error of my thinking, ending the twisted games I played with even limited power.” Flowey looks back up at his sole listener, his face rapidly shifting into a skull-like visage with an organic squelch.

“As for your own mission… Tell me. How many decades, centuries, millennia have you been exacting your revenge on humans on your beloved wife’s behalf? Has that cold, aching bitterness ever once been satisfied when you crush an ignorant human’s skull? Does the snapping of bone ease the pain of the irrecoverable? Or does it only widen that gaping emptiness inside?” The buttercup’s distended jaws shake, rattling pointed teeth against each other as he brings himself to his ‘full’ height, though still pitifully small in comparison to the kneeling vampire.

“It never helped me.”

That response only gets a chuckle from the vampire as he stands once more, wiping his robes at the knees. "Then you are looking in the wrong place for your satisfaction."

"I command legion upon legion of beast and demon. I have mastered the mystic and alchemic arts. I have washed over the world like a wildfire, crushing all that came before me. But that in itself never brought me satisfaction, or even pleasure. My satisfaction comes from simply existing. I exist and because I exist the humans live in terror of me, even when I have been killed. Those centuries of conquest are not concurrent. I have been killed many times over the years, and yet I refuse to stay dead, and every hundred years I rise again like a phoenix reborn. I have conquered what no other has. I have peered beyond the veil that no human can. I am eternal, and because of that, the humans' terror will be eternal."

He holds a hand out, palm upturned with a large ball of flames hovering over it as he speaks, snuffing it out as he clenches a fist to punctuate the end of his speech.

"I ask not for Asriel's compassion, sympathy or pity. I do not ask for his kinship, sadness, nor do I ask for his rage. I ask only for vengeance. Not against any singular being, or group. But vengeance against a world that twisted and took from us. To upset the natural order that has made victims of us both. I ask only that you let loose the power you have on any that may cross your path, and to be satisfied that despite everything, despite a world that says you cannot exist, you have spat in the eye of all, simply by being you."

The vampire lord's words barely reached Flowey after his first sentence, the wretched plant doing his best to hide his trembles under a guise of frustration. As this conversation wore on, all that was becoming clear was that Vlad Dracula was not a creature to be trifled with.

The buttercup's stem sways, rattling slowly-elongating teeth as DETERMINATION seeps from deep inside, the ground pitching and cracking as a couple deep green vines push their way to the surface, raising the flower up a few inches taller in a paltry show of what little power remains in his grasp.

"Asriel is long dead, and I am no longer him." Flowey spits out the words, as if merely saying his former name pains him. "But whomever I am, I'm still here. I've not given up, and the world hasn't stamped me out despite its best efforts. That's all there is, besides not letting the boredom fester." Slowly his distended jaws quiet their clacking, melding into a fierce grin. "So, is that all you want of me? Someone of such immense power has little need of anything, let alone something like me."

Dracula chuckles a bit before answering. "You're right, I have no need for allies. Even those that have taken residence within my castle I have no need for. However, I am a man of many interests, and curiosity often gets the better of me. I wish to see how you - not Asriel - will adapt to this place, how far you can push your powers, and just what the full scope of your abilities are."

He turns, facing in the direction that would lead them to Castlevania's gates, a smirk forming on his lips before glancing back at Flowey.

"With your permission, I would like to show you my castle. The perfect place for a flower such as yourself to come into bloom. The gardens may not be what you are accustomed to, but I assure you, the blood-soaked soil does wonders for flora such as yourself."

The tainted buttercup keeps himself elevated, his vines twisting and undulating slowly, much like how a child twiddles their thumbs while pondering a difficult question. Faux jaws click shut in contemplation, staring intently at the powerful vampire lord, trying to judge the veracity of Dracula's offer. The worst outcomes were death or imprisonment, but if it was genuine, there was much to be gained. The thought of True Death still sent cold shivers down Flowey's stem, but... would even that be that bad? His DETERMINATION might yet still save his existence, however wretched it may be. And he was asking first, instead of flower-napping right off the bat.

"I'll come along, there's no reason not to- I admit, I'm rather curious as to where one such as yourself resides. Though I swear, humans are just so leaky, seems like such an inconvenience really. How do you deal with that all the time? It's just gross. Flowey rolls his eyes with a slight grimace at the thought of blood coating his roots, but snaps out of his little rant shortly thereafter. "Lead the way, Lord Dracula."

Dracula just chuckles a bit. "Remember, blood is the purchase of the soul. Consume one to consume the other. However there is no need to do something as mundane as just walking there.

He gestures at the ground as a column of light erupts from it, quickly expanding to engulf the two, intensifying until nothing beyond the light was visible. A moment later and the world shifts, and the light fades, revealing the vine-choked garden off of Castlevania's courtyard. Several gigantic roses were visible with one opening its petals to reveal what appeared to be a woman within the flower, cocking her head in curiosity.

"Welcome to Castlevania. My home, and soul."

The small flower winces as the blinding light envelops the two, keeping his eyes screwed shut until the vampire lord's words shake him from the dizziness forced by the sudden shift. "Efficient, but mind giving a bit of a warning next time?" Flowey's grousing was cut short as he caught sight of the castle's garden surrounding them. In no time at all the buttercup dips under the earth, popping up in front of the nearest rose, curiously peering through the rubid petals before disappearing just as rapidly. This cycle continues for a minute or two, as a game of inquisitive whack-a-flower explores the vicinity.

After sating his impertinent need to see this new realm, the cursed plant surfaces near Dracula once more. "Very nice place you have here!" Flowey chirps, grinning widely as he gazes upwards. "Already it seems much more regal than dear ol' dad's place, and I haven't even set foot inside!" A small snort escapes the buttercup as he realizes what exactly he said. "Well... you know what I mean. And the sheer power that flows through this place- that must be the power of the human souls that you've collected, isn't it?"

While Flowey explored the garden, Dracula went over to one of the Alraune in the garden and explained the situation to his army through a simple gesture. "Not just human. Every creature here with the exception of my guests are a part of my being, all are souls that I have devoured. Whether they were given freely and willingly, or taken by force, human and monster alike. All feed my power."

He swishes his cape as he turns to face Flowey, a glossy-eyed maid holding a very elaborately decorated flower pot appearing from behind him. "I have designated this maid to be your retainer. Given your unique situation, she will act as your valet within the castle, and will respond to your wishes as if her body were yours. Unfortunately, she cannot leave the castle grounds on her own, as the gate that links us to the other cities prevents any without a pendant like ours from passing through without aid, and given her soul is a part of mine, only I can allow her to leave. However, should you wish to take her elsewhere you need only ask."

Flowey bobs upon his stem, seemingly cheered by the lush new environment. "Makes sense, though I suppose your world must have different 'rules' than mine when it comes to SOULs. I'm guessing that they don't resist you either?" The flower's expression darkens, before brightening at the proffered human. "Oh! That's really useful, it'd be difficult, though not quite impossible to travel through stone. Though, if everything here is of your creation, it could be either effortless or completely impassible. So, I thank you for this gift." The little buttercup bends his stem into a bow, before perking up to gaze at his new 'toy.'

"Some resist, but they do not resist for long."

He turns to face Flowey, the maid kneeling and offering the pot to Flowey. "If you need anything, you only need speak it within Castlevania's walls. My Castle is my soul, and I am aware of all the goings on within it."

It's not every day one sees a yellow flower just sort of appear; not unless, of course, one is a magician like herself... or has pretty bad eyesight. But her gaze is just as sharp as ever, and she knows for a fact that this particular flower had not been there two seconds ago. On further inspection, the vibrant yellow flower seems to have... a face?

"Whoa," she murmurs, approaching and crouching down so she can better be at the plant's height -- as much as one CAN be at such a height, of course -- and she tips her head. Really, if she were anyone else in the world, they'd feel awkward about this, but Trucy certainly feels no embarrassment. Certainly, if it has a face, it can talk, right?

"Hello!" she begins, not as loudly as she usually would for the simple matter that she does not want to scare or frighten it away. "Can you speak? You're very pretty."

Flowey snaps out of his reverie at the sudden greeting, straightening his stem as he turns towards the newcomer. Mild surprise quickly melts away into a wide grin, the flower's head bobbing excitedly at the unusually-dressed stranger. A human perhaps? Quite likely female too, from its voice.

"Howdy! Sure I can speak, since I'm doing it right now!" The buttercup's voice mirrored his bright colors, chipper and animated. One foreleaf raises and swishes, the closest Flowey could get to a friendly wave. "My name's Flowey! What's yours? You look really pretty too!"

"Wow! That's so cool! It's nice to meet you, Flowey! My name's Trucy Wright! You just got here too, then, huh? I arrived a few days ago."

She beams at the little flower, tipping her hat politely to him. In her mind, this is the best day ever... barring the day her dad got his attorney's badge back, of course.

"I don't know a lot about this place still... I'm investigating everything, but so far everyone seems pretty nice."

The bright flower mirrors Trucy's excitement, bouncing happily upon his oddly thin stem. "Yeah! So far everything seems okay, though it's weird not to be home." Flowey's brows draw together in a small pout. "Some meanies had put me in a pot when I first woke up, what kind of cruel trick is that?" The buttercup sticks out his tongue with a childish raspberry at the mysterious perpetrators of this heinous act.

He soon returns to his chipper countenance, gazing back up at his new 'friend'. "So what's there to do around here? ...Actually I don't even know the general layout of this place, let alone specifics."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The Start of a New Game...?

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Oh god Flowey no don't

Flowey's looking for a bad time?

Naw, Flowey's just an ass

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There will be spoilers from this point onward.

Spoilers spoilers everywhere!

Oh no! The spoilers! Too intense!

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Giant Spoilery Info-dump ahead!

\o/

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