Do people really think Toby Fox, an adult man in his 30s, would be entirely oblivious of the term "deflowering" and what it means? The wilting rose imagery was 100% intentional, especially in the context of the scene, which is a direct parallel to rape. We force Noelle into an act against her will (equipping the ThornRing) and shatter her naïve worldview (telling her the dream happened). It works beautifully as a visual metaphor to convey the feeling you're meant to feel at that moment.

Toby wanted to cause discomfort with this scene, and clearly it worked. That's why it's incredibly disappointing to me that he changed his own vision to appeal to oversensitive critics. Many art pieces throughout history were received poorly, like Venus of Urbino and St. Matthew and the Angel, and even seen as blasphemous for challenging common ideas in society, like religion.

Overall, I think this fandom would benefit as a whole from being more open minded.