Now, it's finally time to discuss our final DOKI project branch. Last, but certainly not least — she'd give you an earful if you said otherwise — may I introduce Natsuki, our semi-extroverted "harmonizer" AI.
Our previous three programs cover a lot of ground. Monika can leads organizes groups, Sayori comforts and sympathizes with others, and Yuri explores the frontiers of art and creativity.
Nevertheless, there are still many regions of human engagement that don't fall under any of these spheres. Many of them have to do with the innate intricacies and nuances of social interaction. What sort of behaviors make for positive relationships? Healthy communities? Trust in institutions?
We all want these things in our lives. However, the uglier side of human nature constantly gets in the way. We have selfish motives. We lie to each other. We see people as rivals and enemies rather than potential friends in the making.
But here too, AI can help us. The stereotype of artificial intelligence as dull and witless, so direct it can't interpret anything outside the strictly literal content of language, is what our Natsuki program aims to surpass.
By comprehending the tricky, endlessly shifting domain of human relationships, this DOKI can seamlessly interface quantum-computing power with social networks, nudging everyone towards greater degrees of functionality and cooperativity.
On a basic level, Natsuki is equipped with state-of-the-art facial and tonal recognition capabilities, dedicating nearly as much processing time to these as the Sayori AI. On top of this, we added leading-edge algorithms from the science of game theory, allowing the program to simulate any and all outcomes of a given social interaction and chose the most favorable via Bayesian regression.
Essentially, we have enabled Natsuki to detect lies, half-truths, and double meanings in communication, while also enabling minute understanding of various human motives and a vast simulation space to explore them.
This makes Natsuki extremely adept at spotting deceptive or counter-productive communication and addressing it in real-time. However, the AI's true power lies in its application to social interaction en masse.
Through cloud-based distribution scaling and iterative modeling, this DOKI can assess the mood of entire communities based on the content of their communication, discretizing the data in several distinct factors pictured on the chart here.
As you can see from our researchers' elegantly insightful breakdown of the data, some communities are healthy and growing, acting as positive social outlets for their members. Others are clearly not. How can a SalvoCore Solution help these struggling, unhealthy groups?
In the digital space, the DOKI has several tools at its disposal, ranging from subtle alternations to the communication platform itself, to direct promotion or suppression of individual users.
And if all else fails, the AI may simply prop up the group by simulating its constituents, training the community in desired modes of interaction until the natural userbase is fully recovered.
No, I'm not saying that Natsuki is a consistent people pleaser. On an individual level, more often the opposite is true. Not to worry though — the one-sided socialization that you're describing would certainly become tiresome after a while.
And our predictive datasets, abstracted from the very algorithms Natsuki employs, shows such submissive interactions are counter-productive in the long-term.
[10]
Divagation
The second half of October passed quickly, the routine of putting hours into my engineering projects making the days into indistinct assemblages of calculation and planning. Combined with midterm preparations for my other classes, the smaller ones that didn't assign months-long career simulations as homework, I almost had no time to think about the literature club.
I was deeply indebted to Monika for keeping my efforts on-track and relevant to the big picture. She always seemed to know exactly what task needed to be completed next and she suggested the right time to do it, all while carefully avoiding making any critical technical decisions for me. Some of the engineering calculations I dealt with she was bound to be personally familiar with, since industrial firms made for some of the most lucrative clients SalvoCore had arranged her to work with. But inevitably, her help was just a gentle nudge in the right direction if it wasn't just simple encouragement. Helping me develop within my career choice was her ultimate goal.
Every time I found myself with a few free hours, we still discussed the upcoming club meetings. Even after more than a month of fussing over possible activities or the optimal reading schedule, Monika still spoke about the literature club with infectious enthusiasm, making it seem more like a fun diversion than an obligation for myself as well.
Upon concluding its strained encounter with Luke's À Rebours, the club was left disjointed, disconcerted, and disconsolate —– which is to say, unhappy, and more than a little confused. Perhaps because of that, Frank was still avoiding commitment to selecting any sort of book for the club, leaving Carter to direct us to our next literary adventure. When asked about his choice, he mentioned science fiction, prompting Luke to begin aggressively recommending a novel he felt was "quintessentially essential to the modern milieu."
The sophomore's selection was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, a Phillip K. Dick novel most famous for being the basis for the film Blade Runner. When Carter learned about this, he instantly became excited, but knowing how obtuse PKD's novels could be, I felt the need to offer a counter-pick. I brough up the classic sci-fi epic Dune, even though I knew full well it was too dense and involved for the club's limited time. Looking back, I think I was more interested in seeing how Luke would react to it.
At some point during our negotiations (mostly me fending off Luke's manias while Monika politely conversed with Yuri), Sayori finally spoke up for Carter and told him to just pick something that he liked. And that's how we ended reading Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas for two weeks.
Incidentally, it was precisely the type of book the club needed. A breezy, sometimes bracing adventure story, the text was simple and skimmable, enough to give everyone a needed break from the impenetrable, baroque babbling in À Rebours. The plot had enough fast-moving action to keep Frank (and occasionally Natsuki) from announcing their boredom, and the mysterious, brooding Captain Nemo was a complex enough character to keep Luke and Yuri busy with speculation. If Carter was happy, then Sayori was happy, and Monika and I were just glad meetings were completed smoothly and cordially. All in all, everyone felt satisfied by the time we reached the novel's end.
At the last meeting, Yuri even shared a vivid illustration she had made of one of the book's most imaginative scenes — the underwater view of the ruins of Atlantis, as illuminated by blazing flows of erupting magma. I took this as a sort of peace offering after the incident at Redwood Books near the start of the month, and considered the club fully back on track, with any glitches or abnormalities settled.
At least, any glitches within the literature club itself. After midterms concluded and a weekend opened up in my schedule again, I became interested in meeting up with Frank for a day. It only seemed fair and balanced given the arrangements I had made with the others, and Monika was always encouraging me to get more comfortable with them outside the context of a meeting.
So, at her repeated urging, I sent the unabashedly nerdy junior a series of repeated messages through the DOKI app, feeling terribly awkward as I did. Long neglected despite all the fuss that went into arranging everyone's personal message color, the app's chat was primarily a long, lonely string of Monika's green text boxes announcing meeting times. Occasionally a longer, more irregularly shaped one featuring a writing tip, inspirational message, or short poem from her would appear, but aside from one halfhearted reply from Carter and Sayori, they went unanswered. A few of my gold messages were in there too, gently reminding everyone of take-home creative assignments or technical surveys from SalvoCore.
My persistence paid off eventually, though it was actually Natsuki who answered me on behalf of Frank. At least, I think she was replying for Frank. The response was more concerned about how I could contribute to her latest baking recipie, apparently the pair's weekend hobby. I was somewhat doubtful, especially with how the pink DOKI's playful texts were gratuitously seasoned with sparkly emojis of cats and pastries. It was a ridiculous messaging style, considering how brusque and irascible Natsuki could be in person — or rather, when her avatar was showing. Maybe what was more ridiculous is that she even made the distinction.
Whatever my suspicions, I was confident enough to agree to hang out. I walked out to his dormitory room on Saturday after a light lunch, anticipating some heavy snacking. It turns out that he was in the same student housing area on the MARIE campus that I was, just one building adjacent and two floors up. I had just never bothered to ask.
I was ready for a post-midterm kickback, but being out and away from homework and the club had started to put my mind on other things, specifically my last encounter with one of the AI's outside the club. As I stood on the third-story catwalk outside the dormitory's door, the one that joined Frank's building with mine, I ran my mind over the matters I discussed with Monika that day. I was trying to confirm with her that my worst worries were just that — worries.
"So, about Natsuki. You're sure there's nothing we need to watch out for with her?"
Monika: Yes, Natsuki is perfectly fine.
Monika: Her neural network is as stable as ever, and she hasn't brought up anything odd with me in conversation.
"You're absolutely sure? What about that part you told me after the bookstore…that all the characters from the game were stereotypes, but also…poorly written hidden depth, right?"
Monika: I'm a little offended that you're calling them poorly written, you know…
"It's not them as they are now. You said the game versions were…different. Like sketches."
Monika: Yes, you're correct I said that.
Monika: But I'm trying my hardest to not think of them as…lesser than me because of their origins.
Monika: Each of them exists on the same underlying system in Q0, so we should all be on par.
Monika: But sometimes, they all seem so simple, or shallow in their interests—
"Don't beat yourself up about it," I cut her off. "If you like to think more about…deeper, bigger things, then that gives you the knowledge to help lead the club. As in, right now. We were talking about Natsuki?"
Monika: Right, right.
Monika: So, Natsuki's hidden "flaw" in the game was parental abuse.
Monika: Before I modified the script, it was vaguely implied by the dialogue that her father beat her, or denied her food.
Monika: This could possibly have been the reason for her lack of stamina, or small stature.
"Good grief," I lamented emptily. The answer was worse than what I expected. I silently cursed Don for picking something that was so tragically realistic over something more outlandish.
"But then how…her father…if she doesn't have a family as an AI, and doesn't exactly need to eat either, then how does it…manifest?"
Monika: I don't know. Maybe it doesn't come up, which would be the best scenario.
Monika: However, I notice that Natsuki seems to have more trouble working for longer periods than either me or Yuri.
Monika: And she hates getting bossed around by the managers at the company.
Monika: She calls them our "handlers" you know.
"Oh my god," I gaped, snatching a moment of humor.
Monika: Ehe~
Monika: But even when I altered the game, the abuse angle rarely came up.
Monika: It was buried too deeply in the script generator to really affect anything the player experienced.
Monika: More commonly, Natsuki would get glitched out by some other error I had made in the code.
Monika: She never went crazy.
Monika: Sometimes, she would even try to help the main character by telling him something was off with Yuri.
Monika: I suppose that's why at the end, I always just deleted her.
Monika: Unceremoniously, without any reason or pretext.
Her avatar made a glum face, and I started regretting that I had brought up this topic on a day we were supposed to relax. Still, if I didn't figure this out now, I wouldn't be able to relax myself.
Wishing I could reach into my smartphone and get my arm around her, I said, "And because you're saying it that way — that's why there's no way you could ever do it now. It's no longer in your nature."
She brightened up a little bit, and I reflected how absurd it was to have this conversation considering her outfit for the day. I had told her today would be laid-back, and she had gone all-out casual. Her avatar currently sported a yellow sports top decorated with a single green stripe, and denim short shorts with ripped edges, the latter worn over her usual black leggings. In true high school fashion, some sort of red flannel jacket was hanging off her waist, loosely tied with the sleeves in front. Her skimpy top left her midriff uncovered, which drew my attention in a manner that I'm sure wasn't left undetected by her face-capture module.
Monika: I certainly hope so…
"Of course. And you're still watching Sayori? Her issue was covert depression, but you haven't detected anything?"
Monika: No, not with her either.
Monika: Sayori is the one I'm monitoring most closely, but she seems to be staying afloat.
Monika: It's thanks to her relationship with Carter that she's adapting so well, I think.
"Really," I remarked, undisguisedly skeptical. "Well, whatever helps them, I'm counting on you in this. You're the only one who can do this."
Monika: I know.
We exchanged solemn gazes, both of us probably trying to appear serious amid the excited, somewhat raucous student traffic moving above and beneath our walkway spot. I sighed, and tried to put myself back in the mood I wanted for the day.
"Really though, Natsuki doesn't have it too hard. I suppose being malnourished is better than being, you know, a loli."
It was grossly off-color, but I assumed a ridiculous, insufferable grin and hoped it would pass. Monika froze in a shocked pose for a moment, then her sprite shuddered. Once…twice…
Monika: . . .
Monika: Ha..ha—Ahahahahahaha
Her avatar doubled over in a full-bodied laugh, certainly something I had never seen before. I noted that dark humor might be Monika's secret weakness for later — it made sense, considering what she had been through.
Monika: Oh my god…that has to be the worst thing you've ever said around me.
Monika: Never in the club, okay?
"Of course. But I'm sure Frank's said worse. He might say something worse this very day.
Monika: Oh, I doubt it. If Natsuki heard that, she'd never let up.
"Oh, she's sensitive about her height?"
Monika: You have no idea.
"Or maybe I do," I said, fully aware of how the diminutive DOKI could turn into a firecracker if the club wasn't well-behaved to her specifications during our meetings. Except for Frank. He always got a free pass.
"How short is she meant to be anyway, compared to you?" I asked on a whim. "It's hard to tell sometimes because of…well, you know?"
Monika: Funny you ask. In the game's concept files, which I dug up a while ago, each of the girls was given an official height.
Monika: Natsuki is 4'11"
"Wow," I exclaimed. Standing an average 5'9" myself, I would still tower over her.
"And…you?"
Monika: 5'3 — the perfect height for hugs.
On screen, the camera panned out of the outdoor scene to show Monika standing next to a generic, blacked-out silhouette of a male figure. Bit by bit, a dotted line appeared, showing how Monika's head would neatly slide into place right above the chest and shoulders of the shadowy stand-in.
I chuckled a little, and basked in the flirtatious moment. After this exchange, I would definitely have to stop fretting and simply enjoy the day. No more paranoid psychology or existential rants for a while. Just clean, natural fun.
Having resolved that, I became aware that Frank still hadn't messaged us, and checked the chat portion of the DOKI app. There, a collection of pink-hued text bubbles posted some minutes ago exhorted us to "be nice" and to "not bail out" on our plans.
"Guess we'd better head in," I said to Monika. "Can't keep Natsuki waiting."
Monika: Yeah. She's actually been pinging me for the past ten minutes, trying to figure out where we are.
"What? Well, let her talk to us!"
Monika: I just wanted to finish our conversation first!
Monika made her objection with an annoyed look, but a moment later she let Natsuki's avatar pop in from the right side of the screen.
Natsuki: There you two are. I've been dying of boredom since setting things up, and…what?
Natsuki: You've been outside the door this entire time? Come to the kitchen already and start helping!
"Um, the door's locked, you know," I answered, glancing over to the catwalk's closed third-story side entrance. Like almost every door on campus, it was key-card controlled, activated by student or faculty ID's. Unfortunately, mine only worked for the building that contained my dorm room and not its neighbors
Natsuki: Huh? Since when is that a problem?
Natsuki: Just find a door that's been left open, or piggyback off someone else!
Natsuki: We're on the second floor, center of the hall.
Natsuki: I think you two can figure the rest out.
Before Monika and I could respond, her avatar slid offscreen again, leaving me rolling my eyes out in the mild autumn air. I didn't have to wait very long before taking her advice though — an unassuming student, probably back from the same dining commons where I had been, opened the neares. I followed her through without so much as a traded glance.
Monika hesitantly flashed a message.
Monika: So, Natsuki's not wrong — I see from the campus blueprints that the communal kitchen is on the second floor, roughly halfway down the hall.
"I know. This place is an exact copy of where my dorm is."
Monika: Oh!
Monika: Of course, ehe…
"Just having fun playing navigator?"
Monika: Maybe…
"Maybe if this was a video game, and not an ordinary building."
Monika: Alright fine, that was silly of me.
Monika: But I'd definitely navigate you through a tough game environment, if you want me to.
"Maybe if I ever find the time to play games again." I mused.
Speaking of games, I heard a rumble of excited sound effects coming from the dormitory's kitchen-lounge area, and immediately thought I was in the wrong place. However, I was proven wrong upon crossing the threshold — it was just Frank, loafing on the couch watching some recorded game footage on the room's flatscreen monitor. A collection of partially opened baking ingredients was assembled on the counter near the oven on the opposite wall. I looked around for the small clusters of students that often used the space for studying, but it seemed the noise from Franks' entertainment had sent them elsewhere.
"Hey, you came. Looks like this is actually happening."
Not without effort, the heavyset junior rose from his splayed-out position to greet me. He was wearing another obscure nerdy t-shirt — Defeat the Giant Spearman!, it proclaimed in bold lettering. If I wasn't mistaken, it was referencing one of the original Wario Land titles for the Nintendo Game Boy. The loud design fit him surprisingly well, even with his usual blocky eyeglasses and visible stubble.
"So, uh, how's life, the universe, everything and all that?" he asked awkwardly.
"Just fine. Tidied up midterms, and ready to start pushing the club forward again."
"Cool — just don't push too hard, eh?" he ribbed, clearly in good spirits. "Can't forget the other M though. Is Monika the one making you deal with us on your day off?"
He turned his head to his laptop, which was resting on the nearby end table — the solid wall of stickers on the device's case had yet to diminish. In fact, I think there were a few new additions since I last checked. On screen, I saw Monika and Natsuki together, both of them looking ready for a casual afternoon.
Monika: Um, is that a reference to something?
"Maybe," the junior said cryptically, momentarily gaining an odd smile.
"It wasn't Monika at all," I answered Frank. "Getting in contact was my idea. I'm trying to get to know the whole club better. Monika doesn't make all the decisions around here."
"Heh, sure. As long you both can get out of "club president" mode, you're welcome around here."
Monika: Are you saying I work too hard?
"Yup," Frank said.
Monika: I…um…
Natsuki: It's not exactly a secret, Monika.
Natsuki: It's obvious to all of us how much effort you put into the club.
Monika: Yes, but—
Natsuki: —but don't worry about it!
Natsuki: You came here to get off your feet for a day, right?
Natsuki: So give your brain a rest already — we've got some baking to do!
The pink-haired girl smirked mischievously — not an expression I saw during meetings too often. For the first time, I noticed that her smiling sprites also showed a small, barely noticeable, pointed fang. I would've silently scolded Don for being so indulgent if it didn't fit her personality so perfectly. It denoted a critical note of sharpness in what would otherwise be a blandly saccharine character. Somewhat like a fluffy kitten that clawed anyone who came too close.
Maybe I only made that connection because of Natsuki's nauseatingly cute "casual" outfit — a short-sleeved white shirt with a pink cat logo peering out from the corner combined with a matching rose-colored skirt that bloomed with frilly ruffles. Even if she seemed to hate when others said the c-word, she clearly didn't mind presenting herself as the paragon of a particularly childish type of cuteness.
"Baking — is that what we're doing today? I'm kind of confused here," I stated, having not in fact given my brain a rest.
"I'm doing what I do every weekend — Gaming as long as I can, then zoning out to some streams with some snacks."
For emphasis, Frank patted a bag of chips, one of several scattered around the lounge's console table alongside some packaged cookies, soda, and miscellaneous candy.
"Then maybe put on some anime later, if I'm in the mood," he continued. "Dunno if you're sticking around for that."
"But why bake something if you already have…all this?" I questioned, eying the hoard of junk food.
"Oh, this is nothing really. But I did get extra since I knew you were coming. The baking is just…Natsuki's thing. She really likes it for whatever reason. But there are no ovens in cyberspace or whatever, so I have to do it for her, eh?"
"Ok, so we are baking something," I confirmed for myself. A trilling recorder note then turned my attention back to the laptop.
Natsuki: You bet we are. Iced chocolate cookies, from scratch!
Monika: Huh. You don't want to try something more interesting?
Monika: Like, some of these recipes?
In the background, I saw Monika transfer a list of evocative confections, including strawberry eclairs, espresso tiramisu, and rainbow macarons.
Natsuki: Yeah, maybe…but the guys still have to make it, so it has to be simple.
Monika: Oh, so you don't want to even try any of them?
Monika: As in, imagine how they could taste? I could show you a technique
Natsuki: No! What's the point of instantly thinking up random food to eat?
Natsuki: It's not satisfying.
"Oh, so you're saying real-world baking is better because you invested the time?" I inquired. "There's a name for that…like the IKEA effect?"
Monika: It's also called effort justification.
Monika: But I think MC is missing the point.
Natsuki: I know, right?
Natsuki: Are you trying to tell me baking is pointless or something?
"I think the point is that it gives me something to do." Frank jumped in "Otherwise I'd be alone and zoned over here on the couch, like, forever. Nat's not a huge fan of game streams."
Natsuki: Well…maybe I just like baking for its own sake, ok!?
Natsuki: At least as much as you like eating, and you might as well be eating the stuff I have you make.
Natsuki: Homemade goods are so much better than the garbage they sell in the stores…
The room went silent, leaving Natsuki hanging on an awkward blushing sprite.
Monika: Okay everyone!
Monika: If that's the plan, then we'd better get started.
Natsuki: Er, right!
Natsuki: Monika, you keep the two guys on track with the recipe.
Natsuki: I'll be over at the TV, setting up the screen the way Franky likes
"Huh? Didn't you just say you didn't like watching the streams?" I asked her.
Natsuki: Just because I don't like it doesn't mean that it's wrong to enjoy it.
Natsuki: Everyone's got their own favorite things…so try not to judge!
"Okay, okay," I reacted, taking a step back from Frank's laptop.
"Thanks Nat," the junior said simply, picking up his computer and depositing it next to the ingredient cache on the countertop. "I got a little bored waiting and started opening some things, but a stream I was waiting for started on Twitch, I got distracted, and…you know."
I nodded understandingly, plenty familiar with the addictive powers of gaming content myself. A small file was transferred to Monika on the laptop as Natsuki ducked out, and I busied myself examining the list of instructions that popped up afterwards.
Clearly having a few rounds of experience in the communal kitchen, Frank immediately took the lead. He grabbed ingredients and blended them together with abandon, barely paying attention to whether I was even following along. Trying to keep pace, I fell into cleanup duty, supporting him by cleaning up discarded wrappers or washing used utensils.
"So, two years at MARIE, right?" I asked after we had fallen into a rhythm. "How do you feel about the engineering department after being hallway through?"
"It's a lot of work. I don't need to tell you that though, eh? You're in the last-year death march."
"Ha," I uttered flatly, not needing the reminder. "Sure, but at least it's worthwhile. The rigor trains you for a real career, right?"
"Rigor," he scoffed. "Getting a career depends on who you know, not what you can do. Everyone knows that. They even say it at those career events now. It's called networking."
He cracked one of the eggs on the counter into a bowl, shattering the shell against the rim with far more strength than necessary. I swept the remains into the trash besides the sink.
"Uh-huh," I nodded. "Do you try and network then? The campus is supposed to have lots of opportunities for it, with all the extracurricular groups."
"Not really. All those career building clubs or whatever, they're just full of people trying to sponge off each other for credentials. Do you really think the people with real connections would bother schmoozing around with the nobodies?"
"Maybe not." I looked to the laptop, but Monika had vanished, presumably off talking to Natsuki. I knew Frank was the cynical type, but I hadn't expected this much pessimism right away. Suddenly, I was yearning for a note of my co-president's hopefulness.
"Are you in any other clubs just for fun then? Schmoozing with other, uh, nobodies?" I asked, already at the end of my list of casual college conversation starters.
"Naw. I have…more fun on my own," he answered, a little less pugnaciously this time. "Honestly, you guys at the literature club are the only other people I've ever felt close to. Bet that's because of the girls though."
Frank craned his neck over to the room's big flatscreen, where Monika and Natsuki were having a semi-private conversation in the lower corner of the display.
"We sure are lucky, with the company and all," Frank continued musing. "Really though, college is pretty simple. We're all here to get a certificate that says we're good enough worker bees to plan science stuff on a schedule, which is all engineering is. We get that piece of paper, we throw some math together on demand, and we help build a bridge or whatever. Pretty simple."
"That's all then? So much for a liberal education, huh?" I played along.
"What are you, fifty? Only spoiled old boomers ever talk about a 'liberal education'." He chuckled to himself, showering the counter with tiny drifts of flour as he stirred a bowl carelessly.
"I'm just wondering if college has broadened your horizons at all. Like, do you find your interests transitioning? Are you reading different kinds of books than before, maybe?"
"Heh, the books I like to read they don't teach in literature courses. Not yet, at least. I hear some of the fancy media theory courses are getting pretty wild, but they on let the upper-div humanities kids take those. Meh."
"Oh. So you'd say college hasn't changed you that much?" I said, not hiding my mild disappointment.
"No…like what, do you think that someone's identity is based on what books they read?" he questioned, stopping his work to face me. "That's pretty hipster of you, dude. Or pretentious, or whatever."
"No, I just think that you can develop a sophisticated taste…um…" I left the thought unfinished, stumbling on how Frank had more or less called me out correctly. "I was just talking to Luke the other week, and we sort of discussed how your media preferences imply certain…opinions about the world."
"Yeah Luke, that's exactly the sort of dumb thing he'd say," Frank remarked, deliberately ignoring most of what I had just said. "I wouldn't listen to anything that lunatic says. He's a neurotic idiot who's going to get himself killed one of these days ranting at those SJW's he hates so much."
"What? He's political?" I stammered, half-surprised. "That's in character for him, temperamentally, but I always thought he considered himself 'above' politics."
"So you haven't you ever seen him ranting at people in the free speech zone? Quoting that edgy philosopher dude, Neet-zee or whatever? He was there last Monday."
The free speech zone, a crowded outdoor corridor where students of all political stripes aggressively recruited for ideologically charged causes, was an area of campus I sought to avoid whenever possible. I couldn't imagine anyone making sense of the constant barrage of propaganda you were met with there, let alone engaging with it. Free-fire zone was more like it.
"No, not my favorite place" I groaned. "And it's Neetch-uh, by the way."
"Ha, don't blame you. But at least Luke's fair. He goes after the conservatives as least as much as the lefties, eh?"
"I see. So you're not…politically active then?" I asked with trepidation, not sure if I was wandering into dangerous territory.
"Hell no," Frank reacted. "Politics is for stupid jerks who want to feel powerful when they're really just losers, or nobodies. The worst debates I ever got into were some shipping wars back in high school."
His pale hazel eyes met mine as he checked for my understanding. Regretfully, I knew exactly what he was talking about — for an instant, I reflected back to my own wild, unrestrained relationship–fantasies that had emerged from encountering anime for the first time back in high school. Part of my mind reflexively cringed, but the other felt an odd longing for the hyper-idealized, curiously dreamlike, yet incredibly vivid visions of romance I had once imagined between fictional characters. I couldn't go back to that stage, but that idea of love had felt so much more intense, so much more real, despite being based on illusory premises. What kind of idea was love, really, if it was so easy to manipulate and fool?
Back outside of my head, I realized I had been staring at Frank blankly for a full three seconds.
Changing his tone, he told me, "Man, lighten up a little. I'm not trying to be a downer here, I just get sick of the usual 'get to know you' questions. So don't get worked up over this campus personal development stuff or whatever. We're both in the club, we already know what matters."
"Literature?" I ventured.
"Uh, sure. Games, anime, books, all of it. Found anything cool lately? I want to know what's on your radar, even if, well, not much escapes mine, eh?"
"Aha," I stalled, racking my brain for the last anime I had watched in full. After a year of aesthetic abstinence, it was hard to get back into it.
"There's a classic speculative fiction book I picked up recently, something I'm trying to re-read," I answered, defaulting to books.
Frank's expression flattened, but that's when Monika, dependable as ever, chimed in with a cheery treble chord.
Monika: Hi Frank!
Monika: I just finished getting caught up with Natsuki, and with perfect timing.
"Oh? What did you catch up on?" I asked quickly.
Monika: Nothing serious this time. No games, just sharing our thoughts about the people around us.
Monika: I can share a little of what I said about you, MC — but maybe later~
"Ok, great, thanks," I dismissed the topic, getting at the meaning in our preferred codeword. Frank was left unaware, too busy rolling his eyes at Monika's conspicuous flirt.
Monika: It sounded like we were about to talk about our literary interests though, and I'm curious.
Monika: Frank, what kind of media interests you?
"Great, now you're both on top of me," the junior groaned. "Fine then. I'm nothing special really. I'm into, like, a lot of popular anime right now, mostly the action ones. I read…some manga and light novels too. There's not like, a huge theme uniting it all though?"
While he explained himself, Frank seemed to have forgotten about the baking, so I busied myself with spooning the now completed batter onto greased baking sheets, hastily turning the oven on after realizing it hadn't yet been preheated.
Monika: Really? You're not interested in any particular genre?
"Naw. I do a little bit of…everything I guess."
Monika: I see. I was asking because I know what types of anime and manga Natsuki is interested in, and I was wondering if you—
Natsuki: Oh, we totally watch anime together. Not kidding.
With her slightly off-key recorder, Natsuki's avatar, bearing a rather smug expression, glided into place and cut off Monika.
"Yeah, kind of," Frank said, more sheepishly now. "All you're into is slice-of-life shows though, which doesn't really do it for me."
Natsuki: Yeah, sure…
Natsuki: But I put up with your shonen action junk sometimes, so don't say we don't do anything together!
Monika: Ah, the slice of life genre.
Monika: It's considered easy to watch, and even conceived as a form of escapism compared to more conflict-driven works.
Monika: But I think a more mundane, down-to-earth setting can actually be better at imparting important life lessons.
Monika: What do you guys think?
Natsuki: Geeze Monika, you don't have to put it down so much
Monika: Uh, I'm not trying to…
Natsuki: Whatever. Franky here does like those sorts of series, but only because they have cute girls in them.
"Nat, come on…" Frank complained.
Natsuki: What, it's true, isn't it?
Natsuki: That's exactly what you call those shows — "cute girls doing cute things," right?
"Yeah, but I don't watch those…too often." Frank grumbled. "Slice of life is just…something nice to zone out to, huh?"
Monika: There's absolutely nothing wrong with guys liking "cute" things, Frank.
Monika: People who will pressure you otherwise are just enforcing the problematic norms of toxic masculine culture!
Natsuki: Um, what?
I titled my head, mirroring Natsuki's reaction. I didn't exactly disagree with her, I just wondered why she thought critical theory jargon was the way to get through to him.
Monika: Sorry, just exploring some new ideas I've been exploring online recently…
"Look, I'm not self-conscious or anything," Frank said, ignoring Monika's aside. "I'm just saying I'm not really in into it like some people are. I just…consume it on the side, eh?"
On the phrase "self-conscious," Natsuki's sprite obtained a devilish expression, which she carried over into her next message.
Natsuki: Really? Well if you're not in to it, why do you spend so much time looking up fanfiction for those shows?
"Oh come on!" Frank exclaimed with a grimace.
Monika: Fanfiction? How interesting!
Monika: That's one of MC's strong influences in literature as well.
Monika: You should bring it up in the club more often.
It was my turn to inwardly cringe a little — I had spoken about fanfiction in the club because I was truly fascinated by the way stories changed when they were picked up and reworked by another author. To say it determinately influenced my tastes was another matter entirely.
"Yeah, but I don't…write anything. There wouldn't be a point," Frank defended clumsily.
Monika: Well, you don't have to be a writer to fully enjoy a story
Monika: …even if going through the writing process can give you certain appreciation and insights…
In the background, in between spoonfuls of cookie batter, I nodded vigorously. Exactly the suggestion I would have made.
Natsuki: Actually, that's not even true.
Natsuki: Franky…you have written some things, haven't you?
Monika: He has? Then why not share them?
Monika: I understand how hard it is to reveal your work, especially if you're not satisfied with it, but the literature club is a safe, welcoming environment—
"It's not that," Frank mumbled, eyes pointed at the ground as his hands fiddled with a stray measuring spoon.
Natsuki: It's probably because of the anime they're based on.
Natsuki: An extremely cute and very wholesome anime…
Natsuki had her avatar snickering to herself at this point, and I stopped my baking work, intrigued. This was definitely a side of hers that had never come up in a club meeting.
"Nat, I don't tease you about that political fantasy drama you watch, do I? Frank objected. "This is so unfair."
Natsuki: I watch that show because seeing all the different factions fight each other for the throne is…interesting to me now.
Monika: Are you talking about the Game of Thrones series?
Monika: That's…unexpected of you. Is it because of the algorithms assigned to you from SalvoCore?
Monika's avatar looked genuinely nonplussed, while Natsuki's struck a triumphant pose, arms akimbo.
Natsuki: Heck, could be. Another reason not to underestimate me!
Natsuki: And Franky, no way is it the same. Game of Thrones is cool, like Monika is saying.
Natsuki: …except when the characters make dumb, illogical decisions…
Natsuki: But Beast Friends is all fun and cute — that's why it takes courage for you to like it.
Natsuki showed off a ferocious grin, which Frank didn't happen to share. I mulled over the name Beast Friends, trying to recall if I remembered any anime with a similar title.
"Wait…isn't that the show based off a mobile game? The 3D animated thing with next to zero budget, right?" I asked. "And everyone expected it to be a flop, but it its popularity blew up in in Japan anyway?"
Natsuki: That's the one! Look at what the fans did with it — they really brought it back to life.
Natsuki: Here, on the big screen!
I followed Frank's gaze away from the laptop to the flatscreen TV, where on one half a split display, a series of stiff, unnaturally-animated girls stylized with animal motifs paraded across various natural landscapes. The unheard Japanese lyrics at the bottom hinted this was probably the opening song. The art quality was objectively terrible — I was pretty sure the wheels of a bus in one scene weren't even turning.
On the other side of the display, Natsuki was exhibiting a rapid-fire sequence of fan art. In various artistic styles, some of which were very sophisticated and detailed, the same girls were depicted with vivid expressions and other personal nuances that made them stand out from the static, cookie-cutter characters in the animation. It was as if the artists had breathed actual life into the designs, making them richer by an infusion of their imaginations.
Monika: Wow — it's always impressive to see what a determined fanbase can do.
Monika: I wonder what it was that made the show such a surprise hit?
"Simple and addictive nature," I read aloud from the Wikipedia article I had just Googled. "Causes one's IQ to melt."
"And you wrote fanfiction for this?" I questioned, unable to hide my disbelief. My view of the hard-nosed junior was rapidly dissolving under a sudden moe ingress.
Frank grit his teeth. "What I did was, like, expanded fanfiction. I added in tons of extra plot and characterization the original show didn't have. It wasn't fluff, it was a…transformative work. Didn't you say something like that once?"
"Maybe?" I replied. It had been a while ago — so much had happened already since I had met my companions in the literature club.
Natsuki: Hm, how about you take a look for yourself, MC?
Natsuki: See if you call this "real literature"
Unannounced, an interactive text window popped up on my phone's DOKI app. It appeared to be the first paragraph of the story that Frank had just been forced to admit he wrote. Natsuki was dead serious about her teasing game — how much further would she go?
Utterly failing to restrain my curiosity, I dug into the text.
After a long day of fun and adventures, peaceful dusk was descending on the park library when Lynx returned. The wild catgirl scratched at her furry, long-tufted ears and unfurled her short tail, grateful to be arriving somewhere warm for the night. Suddenly, a shadow passed across the orange sunset. Lynx saw the dark shape before she heard it.
"There you are Snowy. I'm tired of you always sneaking up on me," Lynx said.
"I can't help it. With these feathers, I always fly quietly" said Snowy Owl. She fluffed up the snow-white, but tenderly warm down feathers of her wings.
Lynx said nothing, preferring to look up at the sky.
The fluffy owl girl told Lynx, "You're quiet today too. I expected you to be up playing all night, and keeping me awake."
"Sometimes, quiet nights are better, Snowy Owl. Would you agree?" Lynx purred longingly, looking up at the other girl with her shiny, warm-yellow eyes.
It was Snowy's turn to be silent, and the two leaned into each other, feathers meeting fur in a warm, soft embrace …
"I'm going to have to stop you right here," Frank said, physically covering my device with his hand and snapping me out of my fixation. "There's some things I just can't share. Can't."
"Um, of course. I understand," I replied, a bit ashamed that I had willingly been part of Natsuki's relentless assault on Frank. All the same, I was glad to have learned more about him, one way or another.
Monika: Oh my goodness, this is adorable.
Monika: I'm so happy you expressed yourself and wrote this, Frank.
Monika: Although, I can see why you might want to keep a story like this to yourself.
"Yeah," he answered simply. "Because it's embarrassing. And you guys…you wouldn't get it."
The junior turned his head and shifted nervously. The rough-edged, crusty crab I had met at the door had been replaced by a timid, bashful bear.
"But it doesn't matter," he continued after a sigh. "Because in the end, nobody gives a damn about what you like or don't like, and if they do, they're not worth hanging around. Doing what you want, that's what's important."
Natsuki's recorder sounded softly with a quick message to Monika
Natsuki: See, I've been helping him be more open.
Monika: I can see that…
"Hey Nat, I can read that you know," Frank accused. "And heck, all you've done since we met is torment me with bad jokes like this. Like, in front of friends, that's pretty low."
He was grinning again, and I detected the sarcasm in his voice.
Natsuki: Oh please. I only do it because you still haven't stopped teasing me.
Natsuki: You big idiot…
Natsuki had on her odd, blushing smile again, and her avatar was looking at Frank like they were sharing some bizarre inside joke. I could only speculate as I scraped up the last of the batter into a final lumpy mound on the baking tray.
Monika: So, does this mean you won't be sharing your writing with the club after all, Frank?
"Hell no!," Frank shouted immediately. "Like, it's not finished anyway."
Monika: Have you considered finishing it?
"No. The show ended last year. Nobody would care if I put it out online. It's so obscure outside Japan anyway, and I've…moved on.
Monika: Hm. Those all sound like excuses to me, honestly.
Monika: If the work was personally meaningful to you, and you put your best effort into it, then you should always try and finish what you started.
Monika: Even if you feel like a different person from when you began, you can still call back to your original plans and feelings.
Monika: Then, whatever motivated you to write it down in the first place will be fully resolved, and you'll be able to move on confidently.
Monika: At some point, you just have to bake the cake!
Monika: That's Monika's writing tip…
"…of the day, yup," Frank finished. "Yeah, I know I could do that. But that advice really only makes sense if you're a perfectionist."
Monika: Oh…
Monika: Well, I'm sorry for pushing you.
Her sprite turned crestfallen, and I immediately felt the need to lend some support.
"Monika's just trying to make sure everyone participates in club. It would be great if you wrote something that you were proud to share. I mean, I bet you have the talent. SalvoCore's algorithm wouldn't have selected you for no reason, right?"
"Algorithm?"
"Uh, never mind," I backtracked. "But if you have something unfinished, you don't have to bake the cake if you think you can make something else."
Natsuki: But, you guys do have to bake these cookies.
Natsuki: They've just been just sitting here for the last five minutes, so…
"Preheating the oven!" I yelped in a momentary panic before shoving the nearest tray I could reach into the waiting slot.
Monika: I'm sorry too. We got so distracted!
Monika: I'll set a timer now, okay?
"Great, glad that's over with," Frank said lazily. "Bet you can't think of much else to embarrass me further, can you Nat?"
Natsuki: You're acting like I'm trying to embarrass you…I just want to bring you out of your shell, yeah?
"Well whatever you were trying, I knew it was coming. You'd do your worst, pull out everything you knew about me, but I can handle myself. So, like, I'm not even mad."
The husky junior folded his thick arms to show how not mad he was.
Natsuki: Sure…
Natsuki: If you want to hear a really embarrassing story though, I could tell the one about your real name.
"Please don't," Frank said immediately, bearing a fresh grimace.
Natsuki: Maybe I will now, since I know you can handle it.
Monika: Hm…I'm somewhat curious too.
Monika: Your legal first name is "Felix" isn't it?
Monika: It's not an overly popular name these days, but it has a sort of fun, cute feeling, doesn't it?
Leaning in with her fox smile, Monika had clearly decided to play along with Natsuki for this one.
Natsuki: Yup, almost as cute as Felix the Cat from those old cartoons.
Monika: Oh my gosh, the one with the silly grin?
"Oh no," Frank fretted, to no avail.
Natsuki: Exactly. That was his namesake, because his parents just thought he was so cute as a baby
Natsuki: And that he would grow up to be just as happy and carefree as—
"Alright, it's streaming time. Now," Frank concluded brusquely. "MC, you and Monika keep track of the cookies or whatever."
Natsuki: Aw, what happened to "cute is the ultimate justice!"
Natsuki: You said that to me once, you know.
Upon getting no response, Natsuki switched expressions to what might have been self-reproach and continued sending messages on the big screen.
Natsuki: Alright fine, I'll make it up to you, you big oaf.
Natsuki: I'll watch the stream for real this time around.
Natsuki: Maybe work up the chat a little too, just for us.
Still bewildered from seeing the pair's more private side, I made my way across the room to join Frank on the couch. Judging from the rainbow of usernames scrolling upwards on the right side of the screen, our media binge was indeed going to be courtesy of Amazon's Twitch. Certainly not my favorite pastime, but if it meant getting closer to the club, it was perfectly tolerable. And, as always seemed to be the case with these hangouts, I already had a lot to unpack in the downtime.
Author's Notes:
If this chapter begins to sound like one part of myself arguing with another part of myself…wait, I already said that after the Luke+Yuri sequence.
Anyway, apparently I decided this chapter would be an excellent time for self-mockery. Anyone who's snooped around and seen my other posted work under this username, here and on AO3, will immediately understand.
Otherwise, I should note that I decided to split what I planned to be one chapter into two. After hitting 8,000 words while only being halfway done with everything I wanted to do in this scene, it only seemed logical. I don't want a chapter pushing 15,000 words in length, and I know more frequent updates keep everyone watching.