[His hand closes around his phone in his pocket. He could just text them, let them know that he's talking to Asriel, ask if there's--if there's anything he shouldn't say. But he told them he wouldn't text them out of the blue anymore, except for actual emergencies. This is not an emergency.]
[He knows what they probably would expect him to do, anyway, because it's exactly what he would do, if this was a few months ago. Omit enough truth, hang onto the really important parts, so he can wait for the right time to yank the rug out from under Asriel. Reveal just how much he actually knows at the worst possible time. And hell, the flower probably did that to him dozens of times back underground, because he never could retain enough memory for anything to actually matter.]
[He's supposed to be doing better. This whole honesty thing. It's just so much damn effort, though, going against his first instinct. He could just leave right now, but that would have about the same effect.]
[He's quiet for awhile, debating, sorting it all out, staring at the floor between them now.]
i know you were the flower.
[Honesty. Just be honest. Why is it so goddamn hard? It's an effort just to speak. Though as ever, his tone is neutral and disinterested, as if they're discussing the weather.]
i know that if you're asriel right now, it means you're not the flower anymore.
[Not for now, at least. All it takes is a push. All it takes is an opportunity, or for Asriel to get properly upset, and then he'll be coming after Alphys again, wearing Undyne's face. The flower is a part of him, inextricably.]
...you were here once before, as asriel. and before that, as the flower. has anyone told you?
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[His hand closes around his phone in his pocket. He could just text them, let them know that he's talking to Asriel, ask if there's--if there's anything he shouldn't say. But he told them he wouldn't text them out of the blue anymore, except for actual emergencies. This is not an emergency.]
[He knows what they probably would expect him to do, anyway, because it's exactly what he would do, if this was a few months ago. Omit enough truth, hang onto the really important parts, so he can wait for the right time to yank the rug out from under Asriel. Reveal just how much he actually knows at the worst possible time. And hell, the flower probably did that to him dozens of times back underground, because he never could retain enough memory for anything to actually matter.]
[He's supposed to be doing better. This whole honesty thing. It's just so much damn effort, though, going against his first instinct. He could just leave right now, but that would have about the same effect.]
[He's quiet for awhile, debating, sorting it all out, staring at the floor between them now.]
i know you were the flower.
[Honesty. Just be honest. Why is it so goddamn hard? It's an effort just to speak. Though as ever, his tone is neutral and disinterested, as if they're discussing the weather.]
i know that if you're asriel right now, it means you're not the flower anymore.
[Not for now, at least. All it takes is a push. All it takes is an opportunity, or for Asriel to get properly upset, and then he'll be coming after Alphys again, wearing Undyne's face. The flower is a part of him, inextricably.]
...you were here once before, as asriel. and before that, as the flower. has anyone told you?