[It still takes him a moment to remember that her disguise head isn't actually part of her - so she's fine, even if it looks like her head is gravely injured. He slow-blinks gratefully, and takes the Oran berry to eat it. Not his favorite flavor, but at least it comes with the feeling of his pain leaving.
His fur does bristle, though, when Shoka speaks up. For once, he sinks into the moody expression that Littens are known for.]
I'm just... frustrated. [He pauses.] Do you think I'm gullible?
[From his tone, it sounds like this question has a correct answer.]
[She probably should just say no, because the thought of someone calling Firepaw that (or calling him anything, really) naturally rankles her. Instead, she gives it some thought before deciding:]
You are pretty trusting. But if you weren't, you might not've bothered with me, so I dunno if I'd say that's a bad thing...
[Or that he's too trusting... Though he definitely could be. As far as she knows, it's never backfired on him before (in fact, that accepting nature of his seems to have brought out the kinder sides in those around him, for the most part), but she's not sure if she'd call him the best judge of character.]
[This is actually a much better answer than he was hoping for. His shoulders relax a little.]
I think so? I don't know. Flowey and I... got in a fight on my birthday.
[Which he thought he did a good job hiding, but he was definitely quieter after Flowey left. And he never picked up the flower crown that got thrown on the ground.]
I don't remember exactly what he said. But he thought I was gullible because I like him, and I like Dark Heart. But I like all the newcomers- well, most of them.
[Since he and Bigby have been fighting very publicly, there's no point in pretending everyone likes him.]
On your birthday? Just when I thought that little bottom feeder couldn't stoop any lower...
[Her tone is irritated, offended for Firepaw's sake, but lacking any true bite.]
Flowey's... Well, he can be a total asshole. And a creep. [Her voice softens.] But I think... sometimes he just says stuff. Even when he doesn't really mean it. So you can't take what he says too seriously, when he gets like that. Whatever he told you, chances are he already feels bad about it.
[She can say that with confidence because she already knows that Flowey feels bad about it and has apparently been stewing in that regret for weeks. Even if she didn't, however, she would likely still be able to suspect as much, considering how her own encounters with Flowey have turned out (and also considering the ways in which she can relate to him herself).]
... What do you like about him? [A pause.] Or what did you like, before he went and blew it?
[Even with all of his frustration, he still tenses when Shoka calls Flowey a bottom feeder. It's... a fresh wound, and maybe he wouldn't care nearly as much if he hadn't been so excited to share a den with Flowey before all of this.
The rest of what he says does relax him again, though. He mulls it over for a moment, buying himself some time by grooming a paw that already looks fine.]
I'm not sure. He just... seemed like he wanted to help. And I liked talking to someone who wasn't a human.
[She technically wasn't human either before Bottlecap Bay, but her sensibilities (for the most part) certainly were.]
I know he wasn't lying about that part at least. Not being human before, I mean. As for him wanting to help... [Her own first impression of Flowey was tinged with cruelty right from the beginning, but at the root of it all were good intentions. She thinks, deep down—] Maybe that part was real, too. But I'm not sure it matters to him—whether he's actually trustworthy or not. He'll call you gullible just because he thinks he's not worth trusting... or even being liked.
[It's self-sabotage, keeping people at arm's length. Just saying stuff. She knows the tactic well.
She pauses there, seeming deep in thought... And then she shrugs.]
Or maybe I'm completely off base. I only just met the guy. [But the rains back in May made things strange, of course. By the end of their first meeting, it felt as if she'd known Flowey for years.] Just... try not to let what he said get too far under your skin, okay? If he does something screwed-up, that's on him, not you. And if you want me to kick his ass for you, just say the word.
[His shoulders relax a bit, although he wasn't aware he was holding tension there. That... does make a lot of sense, even if it's a world-view he can't really understand. Firepaw has always been sure of himself and convinced that he's trustworthy, and he can only imagine it would take a lot of hardship to end up any other way.
(He also fully doesn't understand not having a soul, but, y'know.)
His whiskers don't twitch, but there is some approximation of a wry smile on his features.]
I don't think we need to do that... and I can shred his pelt myself, if I have to.
[Or whatever he has. It's empty words, anyway, he isn't sure he could actually justify it to himself.]
Thank you for the offer, though. [Said with an affectionate head-butt, for once actually aimed at her real body.]
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His fur does bristle, though, when Shoka speaks up. For once, he sinks into the moody expression that Littens are known for.]
I'm just... frustrated. [He pauses.] Do you think I'm gullible?
[From his tone, it sounds like this question has a correct answer.]
no subject
You are pretty trusting. But if you weren't, you might not've bothered with me, so I dunno if I'd say that's a bad thing...
[Or that he's too trusting... Though he definitely could be. As far as she knows, it's never backfired on him before (in fact, that accepting nature of his seems to have brought out the kinder sides in those around him, for the most part), but she's not sure if she'd call him the best judge of character.]
Why? Did you trust someone you shouldn't have?
no subject
I think so? I don't know. Flowey and I... got in a fight on my birthday.
[Which he thought he did a good job hiding, but he was definitely quieter after Flowey left. And he never picked up the flower crown that got thrown on the ground.]
I don't remember exactly what he said. But he thought I was gullible because I like him, and I like Dark Heart. But I like all the newcomers- well, most of them.
[Since he and Bigby have been fighting very publicly, there's no point in pretending everyone likes him.]
no subject
On your birthday? Just when I thought that little bottom feeder couldn't stoop any lower...
[Her tone is irritated, offended for Firepaw's sake, but lacking any true bite.]
Flowey's... Well, he can be a total asshole. And a creep. [Her voice softens.] But I think... sometimes he just says stuff. Even when he doesn't really mean it. So you can't take what he says too seriously, when he gets like that. Whatever he told you, chances are he already feels bad about it.
[She can say that with confidence because she already knows that Flowey feels bad about it and has apparently been stewing in that regret for weeks. Even if she didn't, however, she would likely still be able to suspect as much, considering how her own encounters with Flowey have turned out (and also considering the ways in which she can relate to him herself).]
... What do you like about him? [A pause.] Or what did you like, before he went and blew it?
no subject
The rest of what he says does relax him again, though. He mulls it over for a moment, buying himself some time by grooming a paw that already looks fine.]
I'm not sure. He just... seemed like he wanted to help. And I liked talking to someone who wasn't a human.
[A pause.]
No offense.
no subject
[She technically wasn't human either before Bottlecap Bay, but her sensibilities (for the most part) certainly were.]
I know he wasn't lying about that part at least. Not being human before, I mean. As for him wanting to help... [Her own first impression of Flowey was tinged with cruelty right from the beginning, but at the root of it all were good intentions. She thinks, deep down—] Maybe that part was real, too. But I'm not sure it matters to him—whether he's actually trustworthy or not. He'll call you gullible just because he thinks he's not worth trusting... or even being liked.
[It's self-sabotage, keeping people at arm's length. Just saying stuff. She knows the tactic well.
She pauses there, seeming deep in thought... And then she shrugs.]
Or maybe I'm completely off base. I only just met the guy. [But the rains back in May made things strange, of course. By the end of their first meeting, it felt as if she'd known Flowey for years.] Just... try not to let what he said get too far under your skin, okay? If he does something screwed-up, that's on him, not you. And if you want me to kick his ass for you, just say the word.
no subject
(He also fully doesn't understand not having a soul, but, y'know.)
His whiskers don't twitch, but there is some approximation of a wry smile on his features.]
I don't think we need to do that... and I can shred his pelt myself, if I have to.
[Or whatever he has. It's empty words, anyway, he isn't sure he could actually justify it to himself.]
Thank you for the offer, though. [Said with an affectionate head-butt, for once actually aimed at her real body.]