The orange crib, the swaying lounge chair, the fireplace’s flames baked the small room into a cozy warmth.
Frisk lay peacefully on the bed like a sleeping beauty, while the little flower rested with closed eyes on the lounge chair.
After an unknown amount of time, the little flower, with sleepy eyes, glanced at the girl on the bed.
“Frisk, are you feeling any better?”
“Much better.”
Frisk seemed to have woken long ago, but due to her fondness for me, she hadn't gotten out of bed. “Mmm… Little Flower.”
“What is it?”
“You should also get under the blanket to warm up, and then we can chat.”
Touched by Frisk’s concern, Little Flower smiled, then rocked the lounge chair. The feeling of being cared for made its entire being relax into a state of extreme comfort.
Frisk picked up the blanket and got up, draping it over Little Flower.
The fire in the fireplace crackled, its faint flames illuminating the entire room.
Little Flower, half-covered by the blanket, swayed gently on the creaking lounge chair. It wasn’t cold inside, but being cared for by Frisk warmed its heart immensely.
Warmth, tranquility, harmony.
Frisk smiled genuinely, the corners of her mouth curving into a perfect arc. The scene before her made her feel the warmth of home.
“Little Flower~”
“Yes, Frisk?”
“Can you continue telling me the story about Toriel’s house?” Frisk asked softly. She knew that Mom Sheep had also tried hard to make her feel at home, but due to various reasons, she hadn’t felt it in Mom Sheep’s house.
“Let me think…”
“Oh, I remember!”
Little Flower: “You want to hear the story about when humans and monsters had a conflict, right?”
“No problem!”
“I promised I’d tell you.”
“Since ancient times, two races lived together in peace and equality: humans and monsters.”
Little Flower’s gaze drifted further into the distance. “But monsters had the ability to consume human souls, which instilled fear in humanity.”
“And humans could attack monsters at will, which led to war. It was a cruel and bloody war, and countless lives were lost.”
“Many monsters lost their loved ones.”
“In the end, the earth was stained with human blood and monster dust.”
“Despite this, humanity won.”
“Someone used a spell to trap all the monsters beneath the mountain. Anyone could enter, but no one could leave, forever.”
After listening to Little Flower’s story, Frisk fell into a long silence.
“In that case…”
She said with a hint of pity, “That’s too tragic for the monsters…”
“Perhaps…”
“But if no one can come out, how can we get out?”
Frisk had hit upon the crucial point. Little Flower replied, “I don’t think I’ve told you this before, have I?”
“If you want to pass through the barrier, you need two souls: a human soul and a monster soul.”
Frisk countered, “Can the two of us make the barrier disappear?”
“The two of us?” Little Flower paused slightly and said, “I think you know how dangerous that would be, don’t you?”
“Most monsters hate humans. If we open the barrier…”
Little Flower didn't finish. Frisk took over, “I understand what you mean, and I fully grasp what would happen if we did this, but I can’t just stand by and do nothing, because I can save all monsters.”
“I will do everything in my power, even if it costs me my life!”
As she said this, a light shone in Frisk’s eyes, her determination almost overflowing.
“Frisk…”
Off-screen, Mo Zhi felt Frisk’s resolve, tears welling in his eyes. “This was supposed to be my redemption for the past, but it has become the great determination of Frisk, who possesses independent thought.”
“I was supposed to be the mastermind, and you, the tool. How did the roles get reversed?”
“How did they get reversed… you poor thing. Do you know how many flowers have already bloomed on you…”
Because of this, Mo Zhi felt even more guilt towards Frisk. When playing the original game, the player-controlled Frisk had no role; she was purely a tool.
Players couldn’t feel Frisk’s emotions; all feelings were directly transmitted to the player.
But “Falling Flowers” was different. It uniquely shaped Frisk into a being with an independent soul, unwavering resolve, yet covered in scars.
Although players could participate and direct Frisk, there was a soul-filled Frisk between the game and the player, which more directly reflected the impact of the player’s actions and decisions on Frisk.
For instance, during the room exploration, if Mo Zhi hadn’t been driven by curiosity to investigate Mom Sheep’s room, Frisk could have died one less time, and one less flower would have bloomed on her body…
The game materialized all the player’s actions onto Frisk, who was originally just a tool, or rather, it inflicted all the player’s punishments onto Frisk.
Wasn’t this a sophisticated, top-tier mental torment for the player?
‘What… what kind of swordsmanship is this? I’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘No, how can the blade be swung like that?’
‘I’m already starting to feel like crying.’
‘The wind howls, and you see a real chainsaw (╯°口°)╯(┴—┴’
‘I must say, this flower is the best among all fan creations I’ve seen.’
……
The quick-witted viewers had already heard the roar of chainsaws. This game wasn’t meant to relax players; it was meant to let players clearly see the true harm their seemingly ordinary choices inflicted upon the protagonist.
Because most game works subconsciously ignore the damage taken by the playable character, assuming a protagonist’s halo or the ability to revive, it doesn’t matter.
But,
What if…
After the player’s protagonist dies each time, their lifespan in the world they inhabit is reduced by one unit. If the number of deaths reaches a certain point, this protagonist will completely disappear from their world, then…
Thinking this, Mo Zhi’s gaze once again fell on Frisk, who was lost in thought with flowers blooming on her neck and ears. His mind was in turmoil.
What if…
If I die, no matter the cost, when golden flowers bloom all over Frisk’s body, will she disappear forever from the Underground world?
Insane!
When this thought surfaced, Mo Zhi felt he must be insane!
No, no, no!
Absolutely impossible (Fat Orange Face)!
Instinctively resisting the thought, but once the idea took root, it clung like a maggot, impossible to shake off.
The more he thought, the more terrifying it became.
Mo Zhi even felt a sense of retreat during this internal struggle.
“Ah… um… that…”
She looked at the camera, her index fingers nervously poking each other, hesitating and indecisive. “Um… guys… can I…”
“Can I just stop playing…?”
What?!!
Like a thunderclap out of the blue, Mo Zhi’s words sent the livestream into an uproar!
……