"I-I'm alive?"
Frisk muttered to himself, voice still shaky. He hadn't moved from his seated position, he just kept staring at his abdomen.
Where he should have been impaled from.
That freezing feeling that spread through his entire body when the spike tore through his body like it was paper-
"Gah!" He smacked his head. Just thinking about that moment still made his body feel cold.
Calm down, I need to calm down. He tried telling himself, but it was easier said than done. His legs still felt so weak.
His mind was still clouded, it was hard to focus when your entire body was stuck in fight or flight, and adrenaline was pumping like there was no tomorrow.
Then something shined into his eyes.
"Ow!" Bringing his arms up to shield himself, he looked up and realized that what blinded him was sunlight.
The rain had started to dissipate, and sun rays were finally seeping through the clearing clouds. This sight along with being suddenly blinded, was enough to help him slightly focus.
He drew his knees up, wrapping his arms tightly around them. A shaky sigh escaped him, and his heartbeat was startling to slow down.
"That... that actually happened," he whispered softly, voice trembling at the edges. His gaze drifted absently, fixed on a distant flower bent low from rain. "I really... died."
That was certainly not a pleasant experience, he would not recommend that to anyone. His hands went to his abdomen, feeling his blood flowing through his body.
"But I came back…"
He still remembered what happened after he died, going back to the void and having a CONTINUE or QUIT option presented to him.
"Am I basically immortal now?"
That was a terrifying realization. If this was anything like how the player was in Undertale, then could he also have the power to RESET?
God, he hoped not. While it might be cool to be able to go back to where you started, he was not interested in becoming a morally deficient monster that committed genocides because of 'Haha why not?'
Does this mean he couldn't die normally? No, he still had that QUIT option. Maybe he just dies if he selects it?
That's actually kinda reassuring…
But then another thought appeared in his mind. In Undertale, you go back to your last save point after you die.
He didn't set any save points so he did go back to the grassfields where he first appeared. But it looks like coming back to life didn't turn back time because it was still raining.
It was also concerning because he had no idea how to set a save point.
"I don't know how to feel about that…" He muttered.
But he shook his head. He can figure out how his powers work later, right now he needs to get his shit together.
He already spent a long time sitting in the field having an entire episode/panic attack. Who knows how much longer it is until it turns dark?
Monsters existed here, and if slimes and even fucking flowers had enough power to kill him, he didn't want to know what demons came out at night.
"The plan is still the same." He reassured himself, "I still need to head to that house-"
"What are you doing?"
"Kyaa!"
A girlish scream left his mouth as he scrambled backwards, only for his hand to slip making him fall on his back.
Slowly, he looked forward to seeing a young girl with blue hair stare back at him, holding her hands up, obviously startled at his sudden scream.
…
…
…
"H-hello?"
/ - /
Xiangling had found herself in quite an odd situation. She had just left earlier to go foraging for ingredients when it suddenly rained.
Having to delay her little search because of some rain already put a damper on her mood. But this definitely woke her up.
She did not expect to see a person just sitting on the wet ground, staring off to nowhere while mumbling to themself.
While she did get a weird feeling from the guy, she couldn't just walk away. What if he was injured? So she decided to go ask him herself.
What she didn't expect was for him to suddenly shriek like a little girl and crawl away from her.
"S-sorry for startling you" She started.
…
"I was just walking through when I saw you just sitting there, and I wanted to see if you were alright."
…
He's just staring at her like she's a hillicurl! She thought nervously. Her dad did say that she was sometime's too friendly with others, but not to the extent that she would have someone stare at her in fear!
Archon's help her, she needed to reassure him somehow.
"M-my name's Xiangling, w-what's yours?"
Slowly, the man started to lower his guard. "N-name's Frisk."
Frisk? Now that's definitely not a Liyue name. But more importantly, he responded to her!
"Cool, soo…" her mind blanked, she didn't think about what she was actually going to ask him!
"Were you just enjoying the scenery in the Guili Plains?"
She saw him flinch for some reason, and his eyes suddenly got that deep thinking look in them. Slowly, he opened his mouth.
"Sorry, what exactly is this Guili Plains?"
…
Huh?
That was… not the answer she was expecting.
/ - /
Frisk eyed the girl warily, thankfully his earlier outburst gave them some distance. So now he could see her entire form.
Sure, she seemed friendly enough, but the last friendly-looking thing he'd encountered nearly killed him, and the other one actually did.
She said that he was in a Guibli Plains. The name did not ring any bells for him.
He didn't expect her to look so bewildered after he said that he didn't know what the Guibli Plains were.
"You really don't know where you are?" Xiangling asked, her eyebrows knitting together
Ok, he did not think this through. How was he supposed to respond to that? How could he possibly explain his situation?
Oh, yeah, I died, then respawned, then died and respawned again! Please don't think I'm crazy!
He swallowed nervously, aware of Xiangling's increasingly puzzled stare. There had to be something—anything—he could say that wouldn't sound completely insane.
Before he could stop himself, words burst impulsively from his mouth, hastily stitched together into the first plausible lie he could muster: "I was kidnapped—I have no idea where I am."
…
…
…
God dammit…
As soon as the words left his lips, he mentally cursed himself. Kidnapping, really? Couldn't he have picked something a little less dramatic?
Xiangling froze, her eyes wide with shock, mouth slightly open. Frisk braced himself for her reaction.
However, the first response wasn't from her—it was a surprised squeak from behind her.
Huh? Frisk's eyes darted downward, landing on the small stuffed bear-like creature. The bear stood rigid, paws raised to its mouth as if gasping in horror.
What the fuck is that?!
Frisk unconsciously flinched, his body shifting backward slightly, fingers pressing anxiously into the damp grass.
Xiangling quickly snapped out of her stunned silence, shaking her head gently as she raised her hands reassuringly.
"Hey, hey—it's okay! Guoba's harmless, I promise. He wouldn't hurt a fly," she insisted, glancing quickly at the little bear.
Guoba nodded emphatically, paw lowered as it offered Frisk a little wave.
Frisk hesitated, but managed to wave back. He is going to have a hard time trusting small cute things in the future.
Xiangling tilted her head slightly, eyes softening with concern. "Wait—so, you were kidnapped?"
He hesitated. Should he just go with the lie?
Fuck it, No turning back now. Considering the circumstances, he nodded slowly, doing his best to look convincingly shaken—which wasn't particularly difficult.
"Y-yeah," he stammered slightly, eyes drifting downward. "I mean, I was just walking home at night and I heard some strange noises behind me. Before I knew it, everything went dark, and then..."
He gestured weakly at the muddy field around them. "I woke up here in the, uh, Guibli plains."
"Guili Plains," Xiangling corrected gently, the skepticism in her eyes melting slightly into compassion as she considered his muddy, soaked-through appearance.
She clearly found his story odd, but his state was undeniable evidence of distress. Even if he was lying, she couldn't just leave someone who needed help. "That must've been terrifying."
Frisk nodded, her heart sinking a little deeper into guilt at deceiving someone who genuinely seemed kind. Yet, the alternative—telling her absurd truth—was even less appealing.
"Tell you what," Xiangling said softly, "Liyue Harbor isn't too far from here. I can guide you there, and we can ask the Millelith to help you out. They're used to handling situations like this."
Frisk blinked, "The Millelith?"
Her eyes widened again for a split second. She could understand some people not knowing about Guili Plains, but the Millelith?
That was a stretch.
Even so, she tried her best to give him a reassuring smile, "Oh! Sorry. The Millelith are basically the protectors of Liyue, like our guards or military. They'll definitely know how to help."
Slowly, Xiangling stepped forward, extending her hand toward him. "Come on, I can guide you."
Frisk stared at her hand for a while, before he took a small breath and reached up, placing his hand cautiously into hers.
Her grip was warm and reassuring, grounding him instantly as she gently helped him to his feet.
"Thank you. This… means a lot."
Xiangling smiled brightly, "Don't mention it! Come on, let's get you somewhere dry and safe." She turned, guiding him gently forward as Guoba scurried ahead, clearly eager to lead the way.
-/-
[THE FRIENDLY AURA OF A NEW FRIEND FILLS YOU WITH DETERMINATION]
-/-
That's… new?
/ - /
Frisk walked quietly alongside Xiangling, Guoba trotting cheerfully just ahead of them. He'd expected the journey to be awkward and quiet, maybe even tense—after all, he'd basically lied his way into this young girl's care.
Yet, as they made their way through the grassy fields under an open sky, Xiangling surprised him by being incredibly chatty.
She's so full of energy. Damn, I feel old. I'm only 19!
"Hey, I've been wondering,"
"Hm?"
"Your clothes look pretty unique. I don't think I've seen that design before."
Frisk blinked in surprise, looking down at himself as though noticing his outfit for the first time. How had he never paid attention to this before?
His shirt was a simple shade of blue, adorned at the bottom by two purplish stripes. Brown shorts reached just above his knees, and sturdy, surprisingly well-crafted leather boots were on his feet.
These are some good boots, he thought.
"Uh," he started awkwardly, "I guess… the style of clothing are just more simple from where I come from."
Xiangling tilted her head thoughtfully, then smiled and nodded, clearly satisfied by his vague explanation. "Fair enough. They're kind of charming! Simple and practical."
She is too carefree.
They continued walking in comfortable silence, the only sounds being their footsteps crunching gently against the grass, Guoba's occasional curious squeaks, and the soft whispers of wind rustling through the fields.
Frisk felt a strange sense of peace slowly settling around him. After his hectic experience, something like this was very welcome.
But that peace shattered abruptly when Xiangling stopped without warning, spinning around to face him directly.
"Is there something wrong?"
"You know," She Frowned slightly as she eyed him up and down. You're going to catch a nasty cold if you keep walking around in those soaking wet clothes."
Frisk glanced down at himself again, sheepishly acknowledging the uncomfortable dampness clinging stubbornly to his skin.
"You're probably right," he admitted, "but it's not like I've got anything else to wear."
Xiangling suddenly looked thoughtful, tapping her finger against her chin as she gazed into the distance.
After a few seconds of concentration—her brow scrunched, her lips pursed—her eyes lit up. "I've got an idea!"
But before Frisk could question her, Xiangling grabbed his wrist and began pulling him enthusiastically towards a small cluster of trees nearby.
She's strong! He yelled in his mind; her grip on his arm, while gentle, was also horrifyingly firm. It's not exactly hurting him, but it's close.
"Wait—what are we doing?"
She didn't answer, instead stopping abruptly in the middle of the grove. Then she let him go and extended her hand outwards towards him.
Frisk watched in disbelief as a spear materialized in her grip.
What.
She placed the weapon horizontally between two sturdy trees without skipping a beat.
Frisk's eyes widened, and he was about to ask her how the hell she had done that if it hadn't been for Xiangling's next words.
"Take off your clothes."
…
"Pardon?"
Xiangling just beamed at him, looking like she didn't say anything horribly wrong. When she noticed his panicked expression, she laughed and waved her hand reassuringly.
"Relax! I mean your shirt. I'm going to dry it off for you." Guoba nodded along just to her right.
Frisk narrowed his eyes skeptically, clutching protectively at the hem of his shirt. "There's no way you'll dry it fast enough,"
He also really didn't want to be shirtless. "It'd probably be quicker to head straight to Liyuu Harbor."
"Liyue,"
"Yeah, that."
"And trust me, this will be quick!"
Before Frisk could argue further, Xiangling held out her open palms. With a sudden burst, vibrant flames erupted from her hands, crackling warmly through the air.
"Shit-!"
Frisk yelped, stumbling backward and landing on his but, "Ow."
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Xiangling quickly extinguished the flames, rushing forward to help him up, "I didn't mean to scare you like that!"
Frisk allowed himself to be pulled gently upright, staring incredulously at her now-empty hands. "How… how did you do that?"
Xiangling blinked. "Wait—don't tell me you've never seen a Vision before?"
"Uhh, No?"
…
"I don't go outside much?"
She still looked confused but took a deep breath to steady her thoughts. "Well, I'll be glad to explain. But first,"
She held out her hand insistently, "Your shirt, please. It'll only take a minute, and you won't get sick."
She is persistent; Frisk stared at her outstretched hand, internally battling embarrassment and lingering shock.
Seeing Xiangling's patient but persistent gaze, he eventually relented with a heavy sigh, peeling the damp shirt from his body and reluctantly handing it over to her..
Xiangling smiled warmly and immediately set to work hanging the soaked garment across her makeshift spear rack. Flames danced gently from her fingertips once more, carefully warming the cloth.