#Papyrus and flowey | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

buggyrulez · 6 months ago

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Short thing I wrote for my underverse AU Faulttale

A conversation between Flowey and Papyrus that doesn't pass the Bechdel test @pocketcicada has characters that are briefly mentioned, but ultimately it's just Paps and Flowey having a chat while they work.

Flowey watched with feigned disinterest as Papyrus zipped throughout the living room and the foyer from the mantle he was currently displayed on. In fact, he was most interested in what the skeleton was doing. Which he knew was getting ready for work.

The little yellow flowers' eyes followed Papyrus’ every move as he collected his things. Flowey had observed this process for a few months now, and noted that he always grabbed every item in the same order, every single time. Which wasn’t efficient at all, because it happened to be that Papyrus misplaced things very often, so even if he came across something he needed, if he hadn’t gotten something else first, he wouldn’t pick it up.

He was late for work often.

Papyrus mumbled to himself, something about being late for work, as he flipped furniture over while looking for the last thing he needed to start his day. Flowey gave a low sigh as he spoke up.

“Papyrus?”

He didn’t stop his search, even as he responded. “YES MY DEAR FRIEND? HOW MAY I HELP YOU ON THIS FINE MORNING??” You could practically hear the near constant smile gracing his face, even as he stuck his head up the chimney. Flowey looked over the edge of his pot and watched him dig around in there.

“Can I go to work with you today?”

There was an echoey gasp from inside the chimney, one that almost made him regret asking. Papyrus quickly scooted out and jumped up, in one swift movement. He was beaming, of course he was.

“REALLY?! EVEN AFTER EVERY TIME YOU SAID YOU’D RATHER WILT AND DIE AND NEVER GROW BACK THAN GO ON MY STINKY BOAT AND PULL UP STINKY FISH?!” His tone held no malice, he was just stating a fact. Flowey felt no such guilt anyways, but he’d be able to tell if he was supposed to. He did say that, didn't he?

“Yeah. I’m bored.” He put simply.

“WONDERFUL. WE SHALL DEPART AS SOON AS I LOCATE MY-”

“They’re on the hook. The bird put them up for you. Like they do every day.” Papyrus turned at his suggestion, spotting his keys right on the hook, where Flowey said they were.

“CORRECT YOU ARE. YOU’RE SO HELPFUL TODAY, USUALLY YOU’RE QUITE DIFFICULT TO TALK TO. NOT THAT I DON’T TRY!!” Papyrus scooped up his flowery friend and snatched his keys up before finally leaving for work. Only 34 minutes off schedule today. His tendency to be late was usually taken into account anyways, or so he’d heard from the bird during dinner, or something.

The two of them shared a nice one-sided conversation on the walk to the boat house. Flowey was busy stewing, so his good buddy was happy to take on the burden of constantly flapping his teeth. He wasn’t paying much attention until he was asked an actual direct question.

“SO WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND?”

Flowey lifted his head, quirking a brow? Or whatever flowers had. He looked confused, that’s the point.

“What do you mean?”

“ABOUT COMING WITH ME! EVERY TIME I’VE ASKED YOU SAID NO, SO I JUST STOPPED ASKING AFTER A WHILE. FIGURED YOU WERE HAPPIER SITTING ALONE IN THE SUN WITH SOME PEACE AND QUIET!!”

‘Sitting in the sun’ was more of a figure of speech. The sun only reached down here at certain times of day, and right now, nothin’.

“Well I-” How could he phrase this in a non damning way. “I noticed, that you stopped asking…? So I figured, maybe this time I’d actually give it a try.” Papy thought about this quietly for a moment. As in he made lots of ‘hmm’ noises for about a minute straight.

“WELL THAT CERTAINLY ISN’T TRUE. I THOUGHT WE WENT OVER THIS, I’M NOT STUPID, FLOWERY! I CAN CALL A LIE WHEN I HEAR IT.”

“A lie? Why would I lie? I’m not, that’s the whole truth, nothin’ but-”

“I STOPPED ASKING YOU TO COME TO WORK WITH ME A WHOLE MONTH AGO. A MONTH AGO WEDNESDAY ACTUALLY. SURELY IF YOU REALLY TRULY FELT THAT BAD, YOU WOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING THEN! SO WHAT’S THE REAL REASON?” Once again, there was no malice in that tone. Papyrus didn’t care about being blown off, He just wanted to know why. He idly wondered why. With how much the guy went through (and even with what Flowey didn’t know about) he should be a lot more…like his brother, really. Worse. Apathetic. Angry. But really the only time he showed an ounce of negativity, it was concern, or anxiety, in short bursts. Lucky if you could even catch the way his face changed before you blinked.

“…I guess I’m kind of lonely.” He surprised himself, telling the truth like that. Barely even fought it. Dev hadn’t spent much time with him in recent months. Since they moved down here, to Waterfall 2.0, (Not the official name, just the one he used since he couldn’t be bothered to learn the name of the town) he’d been more distant than usual, which USUALLY wouldn’t be an issue, and usually Flowey would be thankful for that, but this kind of usual, the kind that was distinctly unusual, was, well. The picture had been painted, and Flowey mentally chastised himself for that bit he just did, in his own head no less.

“HE DOESN’T SEEM TO BRING YOU TO THE BASEMENT WITH HIM MUCH ANYMORE, DOES HE?” Papyrus made a clicking noise, like a tongue sucking teeth, except he didn’t have a tongue, and Flowey was far too used to it to question it anymore.

“Not. Not much at all. I guess I probably shouldn’t be complaining about it to you, all things considered…” Now is where that guilt would come in. Papyrus had suffered so much more than Flowey- In his own unprofessional opinion.

“WHAT KIND OF FRIEND WOULD I BE IF I DIDN’T LET YOU AIR OUT YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING MY BROTHER? STARS KNOW YOU AREN’T THE FIRST TO HAVE THEM.”

Papyrus sat Flowey down on the helm as he started up his boat, having already unhitched the rope from the cleats as they were talking. He hardly noticed. He didn’t say anything as he did, clearly waiting for his friend to continue venting, like the gentleman he was. So, Flowey gave him what he wanted.

“I just thought it’d be different, I guess? Different from where I was. Had no one to talk to then. Then he comes an…and we have the same way of thinking. Dare I say, we have a lot in common.” Papyrus only nods. “And it was fine for a while. We talk, and I watch him work, and it was fine that way! Why’d he stop-” Caring. Flowey didn’t say that, deep down, he knew he never cared. Neither of them did, but he couldn’t help but feel abandoned in some way. The boat stopped out in the middle of the ocean. Fog hid most of the harbor, Had to get out further to not disturb the reef or the divers. it was quieter out here. Some other boats out in the distance, doing their thing, the same thing Papyrus did. They moved out onto the deck, and Papyrus set his fishing net out back behind the boat, watching it fall to the bottom. Not long before they were back at the helm and moving again.

“I THINK THE SAME THING EVERY DAY.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” He was supposed to be, at least, he knew that much. “DON’T BE! IT ONLY MEANS WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHERS PLIGHTS. I KNOW YOU DON’T MISS HIM LIKE I DO. OR AT ALL. BUT YOU MISS WHAT HE GAVE YOU, I’M SURE.”

“Yeah, pretty much covers it. I don’t…know what the point was. He coulda’ let me dust if this was how it was going to be in the end…Not to be dramatic- it’s just..frustrating.”

The silence that fell over them said more than any words could. Papyrus felt the same way. Did he really wish he was dust floating in the void right now? No, but yes, but maybe. He lost his brother. He lost Sans.

“I WOULD BE FRUSTRATED TOO. HE PULLED YOU FROM YOUR WORLD WITH PROMISES OF THINGS BEING DIFFERENT. AND NOW, YOU’RE ESSENTIALLY LIVING THE SAME LIFE YOU’D ALWAYS BEEN LIVING, ONLY IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION.”

That summed it up pretty well. If there was one thing they could agree on, it’s that Dev frequently made promises he couldn’t keep. To people he once cared about, and people he never did. Even if moving down here had been a ‘sacrifice’ he made, it wasn’t a redeeming one, just a confusing one. Mixed messages and what-not. At least he seemed to give something resembling a single shit for one person. That’s why Papyrus stuck around. Gave him hope that he might get his brother back.

Flowey only stuck around because he literally couldn’t get up and leave himself if he tried. ~ When the sun finally showed its face, it was already setting. It’d rise again in maybe…two days? Just on the other side of town. Days worked differently here.

All that mattered was that Papyrus’ watch said it was time to pull up the last net of fish and head back home.

They docked, did their business with the fish vendors, and got paid. The lights were on in the house when it came into view, meaning Mira was home and had dinner waiting for them. They could hear the kid squawking and laughing from inside already. Papyrus stopped at the bottom of the wooden steps up to the door and took Flowey into his hand. He looked sad.

“I KNOW YOU HAVE UNYIELDINGLY REFUSED MY OFFERS FOR FRIENDSHIP UP UNTIL NOW, BUT I WANT TO REMIND YOU, FLOWERY, THAT I WILL ALWAYS HAVE A SPOT OPEN FOR YOU ON MY INCREASINGLY LONG LIST OF FRIENDS.”

Flowey stared back at him, nearly wilting under his gaze. He wasn’t ever gonna give up, was he? At least, Flowey hoped he’d dust before he saw the day he did.

“…I’ll consider it again. Run it by my people.”

Papyrus’ smile returned ever so slightly and he let out a hearty chuckle. “I TRUST YOUR PEOPLE WILL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION, WHOEVER AND WHEREVER THEY MAY BE!!”

Flowey made a snorting noise and smiled as they ascended the stairs.

“Me too.”

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