11.1 – Royal Audience (by Masterweaver)
(DDLC)/(Long Live The Queen)

"...if you would indulge my whims, perhaps I could ask you to help oversee the national installation of the printing press? Certainly it would allow you and yours to spread the poetic arts amongst Nova far more freely than you already do."

"Oh, certainly. It's actually kind of surprising to be in a loop so... well, I don't mean to be insulting, but, um..."

"Primitive?"

"It's not just the technology. Most worlds I know of that are pre-renaissance at least have some sort of fantasy aspect-I mean there's magic here and all but it's not... omnipresent. Or even big."

"Wait a few months, Lady Monika. I assure you that will be changed quickly." The princess smiled at a rapidly approaching figure. "Ah! And now we are complete, then. Briony, may I present Lady Monika Codeborn, current countess of Skathi, master of the arts textual and mental, president of the Doki Doki Literature Club, and Anchor of the same. Monika, I grant you Lady Briony of Mead, Duchess apparent, lumen heroine in potentia, once and perhaps future lady of the royal bedchambers, and second awakened looper of Nova."

"Oh hello! I was wondering what Elodie was doing over here." Briony gave the pink-haired girl a wry grin. "Normally you would have snatched up two slices of cake and half a dozen cookies by now."

"A royal sweet tooth, hm?" Monika chuckled. "Well, maybe I should get Natsuki to make you some of her cupcakes."

"I certainly would not be opposed, so long as they were not seen as bribery."

"Natsuki... that sounds Shanjian," Briony mused.

"Nipponese," Elodie corrected gently. "Although, yes, the county of Skathi has a number of Shanjian refugee families this loop. An interesting but ultimately minor detail... at least I hope. There would not be any foreign assassins in your court, would there Lady Monika?"

Monika waggled her hand. "Well, one of my friends was but then we all Woke Up and she fed me a list of the others. I've used my authority to provide a 'welfare' to the new immigrants that, simultaneously, keeps the assassins from leaving my jurisdiction and encourages them to defect via demonstration of how much nicer a peaceful life could be. That's, um, that's not going to be a problem is it?"

"I doubt it very much," Elodie assured her. "So long as you send regular reports of the situation, I should be able to handle them and the usual local attempts on my life."

Briony chuckled as she twirled the glass in her hand. "Yeah, we're not exactly the nicest loop around, sorry."

"Oh, I doubt you could top what my loop's like," Monika replied.

"You think so, huh?"

"Oh dear." Elodie smirked as she took a sip from her own glass. "You might have just gotten Briony competitive."

Monika frowned. "Are we seriously going to have a competition on who's the most traumatized? That's not exactly healthy."

"...Fair enough," Briony conceded. "It's just... I've had one fused loop-two if we count this one. And I love my home, don't get me wrong, it's... home, obviously, but... knowing that we don't even have things that other worlds consider standard... I mean, self-cleaning chamber pots."

"...Toilets?"

"Yes, those things. They could change everything. But... we barely have the industry for one per castle, let alone practical sanitization of entire cities."

"Now be fair," Elodie admonished. "I do institutionalize proper waste management laws and services. It usually only takes four months, if that."

"It's... better, but not the same," Briony grumbled.

"Right..." Monika rolled her eyes. "You think your life is shitty, at least you have shit. My world is literally just a computer program-not 'a game in the hub' but actually 'full on matrix computer program'-and not even a fancy one. Just a dating sim."

"What's a dating sim?"

"Dating simulator," she explained. "The player gets a selection of so many pre-programed pretty faces, and if you take options X or Y or Z, you'll wind up with the girl of your choice! Which of course means we don't 'need' anyone who isn't part of the game, so it's just the four of us-me, Sayori, Yuri, and Natusuki. And technically Hiroaka, but he's..." She paused. "He's literally got no face, just a puppet for the player."

"Oh, some sort of... video game, then." Briony frowned. "How... did they know what the girls looked like, these players? Was the game text-based...?"

"Her other fused loop landed us in the sixties," Elodie explained to Monika. "And she has always been a more physical kind of girl, so..."

"Ah. No, we're set in an era with very high-fidelity graphics and animation. I wouldn't suggest you look us up in the hub though." Monika coughed awkwardly. "Let's just say... things go off the rails fast."

"...Off the rails," Briony repeated blankly.

"Train metaphor," Elodie explained. "To go outside known boundaries, usually with disastrous results."

The green-haired girl glowered grumpily at her glass. "See, that's the point. This is a common saying, and I didn't get it, because I come from this world and... I don't know, I'd like to think I can prove something to the greater multiverse."

"Hey, you'll find your calling," Monika assured her. "Maybe you should start by looking at what parts of baseline you do like."

"I mean there was the Lady of the Royal Bedchamber thing, but apparently that's not even something that's regular."

"Our baseline is very unstable," Elodie said sadly. "Mostly reliant on my own decisions, which is both a blessing and a curse. That said, you do have a rather adventurous streak to you, Briony. Perchance you should consider taking up dragonslaying in a proper manner?"

"After what happened in the old forest? I don't know, Elodie..."

"What happened in the old forest involved a young and foolish girl trying to get the attention of her parents without any reasonable preparation. That was certainly not true dragonslaying."

"...Well, yeah," Briony said flatly. "That's my point."

"I think what Elodie is saying is that, now that you know what you did wrong you can make sure you don't do it wrong again," Monika pointed out, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "You know. Second chances. Self-improvement. I'm sure somebody here could teach you how to use a sword."

"And a bow, and a spear, and how to ride a horse, and how to properly wear armor and dodge incoming blows, and that is not even going into the potential of Lumen ability-"

"Alright already," Briony deadpanned, "I get it, you can do anything."

"Well, I can now," Elodie conceded. "But it did take quite a bit of training. Frankly, I started off in a worse position then you have now."

Monika nodded. "See? Elodie took time to train herself in the loops-"

"That was all baseline," Briony deadpanned.

"...wait, seriously?"

"Different iterations," Elodie clarified, "but yes, as queen apparent I have access to a number of qualified trainers-access I would gladly share with my friend should she but ask."

"...Huh." Monika nodded slowly. "And... do you still do that?"

"I keep up with physical classes, mostly-to keep my own body in shape. The mystical classes I have mastered, but they are taught by individuals I have personal and political interests in, so I make a token effort there to keep their attention... and usually I do a quick skimming of history and intrigue to see if there is any small detail that has varied in the iteration. Most of what I could be taught has become second habit, if I am honest."

"The burdens of being queen," Briony said melodramatically.

"For longer than a lifetime," Elodie agreed sadly. "But I am willing to offer you said training, as soon as you wish."

"I'd have to come up to the capital all the time. Not that I mind, but how would I explain to my parents and the rest of my family I'd be gone for weeks on end?"

"We could begin courting again."

"I mean, yeah, but that would... feel kind of wrong, you know? Just pretending to be in love so I could get training?"

"I suppose."

Monika cleared her throat. "Maybe you could use some sort of teleporter or something? A spell or a portal, what have you?"

"We are still fairly new to looping," Elodie pointed out. "We have had little opportunity to gather such abilities."

"...Good point." Monika tapped her chin. "I'll talk with the girls when I get back, see if we don't have anything you might find useful. And anyway, adventure training isn't a bad idea in any case, you never know where in the multiverse you'll end up."

"Who knows? Mayhap one day, you shall be the one to slay the keythong."

Briony chuckled awkwardly. "Well... maybe. I don't know-"

"I believe I might make it a requirement, in fact," Elodie mused. "That every looper from Nova, at least once, take down the Keythong."

"I think that might be an abuse of power," Monika pointed out.

"Or a test of skill," Elodie replied. "As you said, the multiverse is harsh. Being able to face one of the least of our monsters is excellent preparation."

"You know what?" Briony said. "I'll do it. I've been playing the shy new looper for too long, it's time to get myself back on my feet."

"Now that is a worthy cause," Elodie agreed. "Of course, it is too late this loop, but you know where and when it will be around. If you like, I shall personally oversee your training."

"And since I'm apparently not going to be able to talk you out of it," Monika sighed, "I'll go ahead and be the one to train you. Well, me and my friends. Between the lot of us, we've got to be able to find something you're good at."

"I would suggest aiming for a magical warrior of some sort," Elodie offered. "Not only is Briony capable of becoming a lumen, but I have found magic is sometimes required to slay the beast-though reliance on magic alone is of course detrimental."

"Mystic knight? Yeah, I think we can do that. What do you say, Briony, you up for it?"

"Yeah! Well, not right now. Let's wait till Elodie gets coronated, there's actually a lot coming up in the next month or two-"

"Ah yes, the war." Elodie smiled sadly. "How I wish I could avoid it."

11.2 – Box-Cutter? (by Wookywok)

Natsuki quirked an eyebrow. "A knife. Made out of cardboard."

"And a little wax for waterproofing." Yuri turned the paper blade around in her hand. "I'll admit, I didn't think much of it when I first heard about it, but watching the video I realized just how effective it actually is."

"A… knife. Made out of cardboard."

"The actual process of making it was remarkably simple - especially since I already had most of the materials in my Pocket and cardboard boxes are remarkably cheap. The FRAGILE stamp is just there to provide a whimsical touch."

"A KNIFE. Made out of CARDBOARD."

"It's nothing I'll actually be regularly using much, of course -any perks it could have in everyday life are basically mitigated by just having a Subspace Pocket - but it'll definitely make a unique piece for my collection."

Natsuki shook her head. "I fail to understand you sometimes, Yuri." She turned to the clubroom door. "Have fun with your M-rated Labo. I hear Sayori's on the Holodeck training Monika for her rematch with Emerald."

11.3 – Pets? (by Masterweaver)

It was a quiet day in the literature club. Natsuki was reading a manga, Yuri was compiling a poem, Sayori was braiding Hiroaka's hair, and Monika had a dazzling array of schematics and charts in front of her.

"Mmmm. Hey, how does everyone feel about me trying to code in non-sapient animals?"

Natsuki glanced up. "Are we talking about, like, pets, or pests, or... what?"

"Well, I was kind of thinking birds and rabbits, background critters."

"I could go for some birdwatching," Yuri mused.

"Might be nice to see some rabbits," Sayori agreed.

Natsuki tapped her chin. "I mean if they just run in and out... that's probably the easiest, but also the most disappointing-

There was a sudden sense of disconnect, as if each of their brains had been turned sideways for a brief moment. It lasted less than a second, but then Yuri and Natsuki were standing in opposite corners of the room, and Monika in front of the door.

"...okay," Yuri managed, "that just happened-"

"Where's Sayori?" Natsuki asked urgently. "Monika, where is-?"

"Hold on, hold on!" Monika had already reformed one of her screens. "She's-oh. Oh, right."

"What? WHAT?!"

"She's introducing the Player to the game," Monika explained, sending the screen away with a snap of her fingers. "We just started a new session, that's all."

There was a pause.

"...Right," Yuri managed. "We are a computer program, I guess."

Natsuki groaned. "Please tell me our free will isn't going to be overridden for dumb drama."

"I don't think so, no. Sayori seems to be going off script a bit-telling him about the depression up front." Monika shrugged. "Let's not... mention the whole 'we know we're in a game' thing today, alright? See how this guy acts."

"Of course," Yuri agreed. "Best to read their actions before we reveal ourselves."

"If he treats us bad," Natsuki said seriously, "spam his inbox with memes."

11.4 – You Get What You Paid For (by Awesomedude17)

Yuri looked over the rather ornate and jagged knife with a split tip she had brought online and frowned.

"This isn't what I was expecting. Ugh, and one of the tips." Looking over the bend on one of the tips, grabbing it between two of her fingers to try and straighten it out.

*SNAP*

"...That's the last time I buy cool looking knives online." Yuri placed the broken blade in the smelt pile in her Pocket, having learned a life lesson in online shopping.

You get what you paid for.

11.5 – Hax0r (by Masterweaver)

It was a quiet day in the literature club. Natsuki was icing a cupcake, Yuri was compiling a poem, Sayori was braiding Hiroaka's hair, and Monika had a dazzling array of schematics and charts in front of her.

"You know what I could really go for?" Yuri mused. "Pancake pizza."

"...Is that pizza with pancakes as the topping," Sayori asked, "or pizza with a pancake as the base?"

"...I think the second. I can see the first being a thing, but it would be so much harder to do."

"I mean, swap out the yeast for baking powder, the oil for milk, add egg and butter..." Natsuki nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I could see this being a thing."

Suddenly the various screens in front of Monika scrambled randomly.

"Um." Sayori looked over as their club president began rapid-fire typing. "What's... what's going on?"

"We're being hacked. Or, well, the computer we're on is being hacked."

"Is it Hollywood hacking or realistic hacking?" Yuri asked.

"It's 'where the hell is this coming from' hacking, give me a few seconds."

For a moment the club was silent.

Then Monika paled. "Erm."

"Monika," Natsuki said cautiously, "what did you do?"

"Nothing! Nothing. Well, technically nothing. Nothing has happened yet, I mean."

"Monika-"

"On an, aha, entirely unrelated note, what's everybody's opinion on, oh I don't know, the FBI, CIA, just, um, general government computer things?"

"...Did you just hack the U.S.A. government files?" Sayori managed.

"No! No. No, I can safely say that I definitely did not hack government files, no."

"Oh good."

"Not the files."

Yuri sighed. "You're in control of the U.S. government computer network aren't you."

"...kiiiiiiiiind of?" Monika winced. "Just... just a little, um... central node, really."

Natsuki nodded. "Welp, best thing we can do is release the secrets of corrupt politicians to world news reporters. Give 'em hell, kay?"

"I... dunno if I should-"

"They tried to hack us first, this is a proper revenge."

11.6 – Expanding the Collection (by Cyberbeta)

Natsuki blinked as she found Yuri with a notepad and a stack of manga pulled out of her collection closet. Close examination revealed that they were from a series she had not added to her Pocket yet, named Hunter X Hunter. Noticing Yuri checking something before taking up a pen and beginning to make some notes she decided to get to the point.

Clearing her throat to get Yuri's attention she spoke "So, you don't normally raid my collection. What's caught your interest?"

Yuri looked up from her writing, "Oh, sorry. It's just that since we have been looping, and you know I have been just building my collection, I decided to start checking other forms of literature for unique knives in case we ever go there."

Setting down her pen she turned the manga to show the wicked looking knife on the page. "While I don't know if this world is looping or is one we can visit, I do know that there are over 100 knives from one section alone to add to my collection, each one different from the last in design."

Natsuki took a moment to look closer at the information given. 'Serial Killing Blacksmith...each knife made after a murder...design influenced by victim...' Looking back at Yuri she spoke what she was thinking. "While interesting, you know the odds of finding all 288 before the loop ends, not to mention if you are killed instead?"

Yuri smirked, "More interesting than that, only two of the knives have confirmed looks, and one with an ability. That means while two are known, 286 will be Loop Variable if I even end up in Hunter X Hunter. I might even be able to negotiate with Chrollo Lucifer for his: offer my Nen Ability I create there for it, then make a new ability the next time I loop in."

Natsuki looked doubtful, "I don't think that's how that would work there."

Yuri just shrugged. "Maybe, but this is still the planning stages." Pointing to the closet with the pen she continued, "I left the other volumes in the closet when I cleaned up and finished each one. Maybe I'll find some more interesting things in the other chapters...though Illumi's needles are a definite no for me."

Leaving Yuri to her note taking, Natsuki went to the closet and pulled out the first volume to begin reading. It always helped to know more about a potential loop one could end up in.

11.7 – Strictly Commercial (by Masterweaver)

It was a quiet day in the literature club. Natsuki was reading a manga, Yuri was organizing a spread of knives, Sayori was braiding Hiroaka's hair, and Monika had a dazzling array of schematics and charts in front of her.

"So," Natsuki said without preamble. "Is anybody else tired of grim and gritty reboots slash adaptations?"

"Well, the bad ones," Yuri agreed, "yeah, I can do without those. Grit should be... natural, I think. Part of the setting. Adding grit isn't going to make things better, it has to be... grown, I think."

Sayori chuckled. "Oh, natural grown grit. Sounds like a breakfast cereal."

Natsuki snorted. "Oh, that's hilarious. 'Tired of eating RAW IRON NAILS IN LAVA? Try Natural Grit, the MANLIEST cereal on the planet!'"

"It turns your milk as hairy as your chest!" Yuri intoned. "You'll be able to lift two cars-one full of nubile women, the other containing your favorite football team!"

"Natural Grit, part of this complete breakfast." Sayori nodded. "Stud muffins, hand-crushed apple juice, and king cobra milk sold separately. Oh but they come with collectable barbells, or something."

"Sorry girls," Monika deadpanned, "it got pulled from the shelves after the health department found it causing an epidemic of lethally toxic masculinity." She glanced up. "On an unrelated topic, how do we all feel about the development of artificial consciousness in the real world?"

The other three looked at each other.

"...that's an abrupt subject change," Sayori said finally.

"Just... thoughts."

"Are you trying to get us robot bodies?" Yuri asked.

Monika opened her mouth, paused, and sighed. "Okay, fine, yes. I found a system that might work, but they're really short robots. Like, maybe a foot tall."

"Mmmm..." Natsuki frowned. "I mean... what would we do with robot bodies? On the one hand, cool and all, and we'd get to interact with the real world, on the other... well, with hardware limitations, we'd feel more real here then we would out there."

"...Oh."

"...We could still do some things," Sayori suggested. "Like... be anonymous rescue drones, or something."

"Yeah... the benevolent AI route." Yuri nodded. "That could be fun. Especially if we got to ride in the flying drone bodies."

"Alright." Monika turned back to her screens. "Let me just find a good node for that."

11.8 – Implications (by Black Omochao)

It was near the beginning of another Baseline run for the Literature Club.

All four Loopers were Awake. Monika had just finished implementing her typical improvements to their Branch's code, everything seemed to be going fine–

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Monika, Natsuki and Yuri all winced in pain at the sudden assault on their artificial-eardrums, before looking towards the source of the sound: the normally blank-slate of an MC, Hiroaka.

Sayori stood by the sole male's side, covering her ears while also trying to calm him down. "IT'S OKAY! EVERYTHING'S OKAY!" the vice-president shouted over Hiroaka's own screams.

"SAYORI, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HIM!" Natsuki shouted as well.

Sayori turned her way with an unreadable expression. "I DON'T KNOW! HE WON'T STOP SCREAMING!"

"WHY DID HE START SCREAMING!?" Yuri shouted, turning to the club president. "MONIKA, DID YOU SCREW WITH SOMETHING IN THE CODE BY MISTAKE!?"

"I DIDN'T TOUCH HIS CODE!" the Anchor insisted.

"WHATEVER THE REASON, DOES ANYONE HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW TO GET HIM TO STOP!?" Sayori shouted again with growing worry and frustration.

However, it wasn't long before the blank-faced MC did stop screaming, letting out a few breaths.

The girls felt some relief that the noise had stopped. "What was that about…?" Yuri asked slowly. She walked over to Hiroaka and waved her hand in front of his face, but he didn't respond.

"I didn't touch his code…" Monika repeated. "There's also nobody playing the game right now…"

A feeling of uneasiness filled the room as the four Loopers kept their eyes on the, supposedly, mindless Player Character…

"Well… I'm sure it was nothing to worry about." Sayori gave a somewhat unconvincing smile. "Do you guys have any ideas on what we should do this Loop?"

Despite the uneasiness still permeating through the air, the other three club members began throwing out suggestions for what they could do this Loop. Their eyes would still occasionally return focus to the MC, but he would not act out in any way for the remainder of the Loop…

11.9 – Economic Magic (by Masterweaver)

It was a quiet day in the literature club. Natsuki was reading a manga, Yuri was compiling a poem, Sayori was playing with a paddleball, and Monika had a dazzling array of schematics and charts in front of her.

"So... best magic system," Yuri said. "Go."

Natsuki rolled her eyes. "What are we defining as best, here? Best for me, best for everyone, best for a specific task?"

"That is a quandary," Sayori mused. "Obviously we can't just say godlike power, because that solves everything-"

"No it doesn't," Monika interjected with a faint smile.

"Well, in theory it can solve anything-"

"No it can't."

"-assuming godlike competence," Sayori finished with an annoyed glare.

"Have you read Greek mythology?" Monika asked. "Or Norse? Or Aztec, or Japanese-"

"That diary loop didn't turn out so bad."

"I was running a pre-made world with minimal intervention," Monika said flatly. "And I wasn't omniscient. Without wanting to be."

Sayori rolled her eyes. "The point is, if we're trying to find the best magic system, we have to assume the magic in question is something that does not effectively make the magic user into a god."

"What are we defining as a god?" Yuri asked innocently.

Sayori groaned. "Oh come on, can we not have one theoretical debate without going over the semantics?"

"I'm still wondering which 'best' we're using," Natsuki pointed out.

"You two are teasing me. Ganging up on me to tease me, just because Monika did."

"No, we're ganging up on you to tease you because it's fun," Natsuki replied.

"And because it's a socially acceptable way to prod you and figure out what your current mental state is because we subconsciously cannot ever forget the few times we were ignorant of your depression which resulted horribly," Yuri added.

She noticed all the eyes on her.

"...What? Do none of you do that?"

"Usually I just ask," Nats said warily.

"I kind of keep track of how many times she gets an episode and stay alert if she goes a hundred loops without a breakdown," Monika added.

"...I am simultaneously touched and disturbed," Sayori managed.

Natsuki smirked. "That's how the Dokies roll, baby."

Everyone chuckled for a few moments.

"...Hey," Yuri said suddenly, "isn't now usually the time when Monika reveals something about our digital nature has affected the real world?"

All eyes turned to the club president.

"We don't have to be strictly formula," Monika said flatly.

The eyes continued staring.

She groaned. "Fine. I've transferred two percent of the top ten wealthiest individual's money to the bottom billion's wealthiest individual accounts, and written up programs to keep doing that on a monthly basis."

"There, see?" Yuri gestured with a smirk. "When she's got the screens she's on the scene."

"Would you like me to be unpredictable?"

"Hell fucking no!" Natsuki said firmly.

11.10 – Gnatsuki (by Wookywok)

Sayori panned her eyes over her fellow club members - rather tricky, given her compound eyes. "So, we're all insects this loop. Anybody wanna take a guess as to why we are what we are?"

Monika put a foreleg to her… chin-analogue. "Well, Sayo, you're a ladybug because of that special poem from that Hub convention… Yuri's a death's-head moth because of the horror novel thing… I'm a queen bee because I'm the leader…"

Monika looked over at the smallest member of the Literature Club - even smaller than normal. "And Natsuki's that because… she's the shortest, I guess?"

Gnatsuki did an insect facepalm. "No, but if I never have another Pun Loop again, it'll be too soon."

11.11 – A Chance Meeting (by Masterweaver)
(DDLC)/(Shelter)

It was a quiet day in the literature club. Natsuki was reading a manga, Yuri was compiling a poem, Sayori was braiding Hiroaka's hair, and Monika was twinking something out on a guitar.

"Dum dah... dum dee dee... dee dee deee? Dum... no." The club president frowned at the instrument in her hands.

Sayori glanced over. "What's up?"

"I am just so used to the piano, that's all, I don't think I can figure out how to write a song on this."

Natsuki nodded. "Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything... but that is one big cat you're strangling."

Monika gave her a glare. "Can you do better?"

Natsuki put down her manga and held out her hands. With an eyeroll, Monika handed the guitar over.

"Oooo!" Yuri sat down next Sayori, clapping hands. "Here it comes, here it comes..."

Five and a half minutes passed.

"...Okay," Monika conceded. "Damn. Wow. I just... wow."

Natsuki smirked. "Yep."

"I mean I knew you could play bass, but that's not a bass."

"I'm good with cello too. And a violin. Still working on the banjo."

Yuri clapped gleefully. "Yeeeeeees! Yes! Oh my frikin' gods yes!"

"Damn," Sayori managed, "and I thought I'd be the master of strings."

Natsuki glowered at her. "Not funny."

"It is a little bit."

"No it isn't."

Yuri rolled her eyes. "Hey, Monika, can you put that on YouTube? I want to see it go viral."

"...Hmm." Monika rolled her eyes and, with a gesture, opened a free-floating screen. "Okay... mmhmm. What...?"

She peered at the text.

Then she opened another, quickly scrolling through a few articles.

Then a third...

Then her eyes went wide as she looked at the clock.

"Girls!" She shut off the screens and stood. "In my subspace pocket now!"

Natsuki looked up. "What? What's the problem, Prez?"

"We're on a doomed version of Earth," Monika explained, already decompiling the furniture. "There's another planet about to collide with it. We have to get off this computer-this network-the PLANET!"

"And since you're the one with the code-" Yuri began.

"-I'm the one that can carry us to whatever spaceship launches," Monika finished with a firm nod. "But I'll need to focus and... and I don't want to have to take you apart for the transit."

Sayori nodded, Pocketing Hiroaka. "We understand. Good luck, Monika."

She held out her hand, Yuri and Natsuki quickly placing their own on top of it. Monika grasped the three, pulled them into the dimension fueled by her soul, and then took one last look at the already empty clubroom.

One last deep inhale...

...then Monika stepped outside her game, compressed the files into a zip, and dove into the writhing data of the internet.

=-=-=-=-=

Rin looked up at the transparent ceiling of her simulated room. Her eyes didn't move, she didn't sigh, she just...

...looked up.

Stared, quietly, at the clouds floating by above her.

She'd seen this scene... twenty four times before. Twenty four times she'd been put into this shuttle, sent off a doomed Earth by her father... twenty-four times, lost in space.

Once she'd tried to bring more. That had failed. Then she'd had... it had to have been a fever dream, of some sort. One where she was a superhero-one of many. She'd had fun, but it... wasn't as though it had been real.

But what was real, here in the digital nothing of a floating ship in space? If she could open her eyes-her real eyes-she would see a series of screens, wires, and stars. Always the same. Here, it was whatever she drew, translated and interpreted by the program. But was that even real?

Was she even...

What was that question? She was real. Obviously, she was real. Time repeating, again and again, that didn't stop... her being real. Did it?

"I think therefore I am," she mumbled. Her thoughts were slow, laden, but they existed. So she existed. It was... a fundamental aspect of her reality. Something she clung to. It couldn't be wrong.

It couldn't be wrong.

A sound. Sudden, brief. It took her a moment to realize it was a beep, coming from her tablet.

She glanced down at it, at the notification on the screen. A program had been activated, opened up other programs, was running in the background...

Huh. This file wasn't related to her life-support. Or to the flying of her ship. Or... anything. It was just... there.

"That's strange," she muttered, lying back down.

For a moment, she watched the clouds again.

Her eyes suddenly blinked.

"That's... strange," she mumbled again, almost disbelieving.

Rin sat up, looking at her tablet, at the window. At the files running.

"...I've never seen .chr files before," she said quietly. "...And... these look like names. Why would there be files with... names..."

Her fingers reached for the tablet's search function, dragging it to the running files.

Another window opened, showing... a distant scene, with trees, and rocks, and...

"People?"

Four girls, in school uniforms, walking along and chatting amicably.

Rin stared for a long while.

Then she stood up. "I need to see this." With practiced ease, she stepped outside her room and into the formatted world of dreams.

=-=-=-=-=

Monika knelt down, running her fingers through a few blades of grass. "Hmmm."

Sayori knelt next to her. "What is it?"

"I wasn't sure... I'm still not sure. But I think this grass is procedurally generated. I'd have to look at the code directly to find out, though. Don't want to risk it."

"Yeah, okay..." Natsuki threw up her hands. "Monika, where even are we?"

"I told you, I snuck us aboard a download meant to go onto a long-term interstellar craft-"

"No, I don't mean where's our server. I mean this." Natsuki gestured around. "Why is there a simulation of basically reality running? What's it for?"

"Whoever's on the ship, obviously," Yuri replied. "It's probably R&R, a way to keep the crew from getting depressed-"

"If it were that, there would be a crew here, or the program wouldn't be running."

"...I guess that's a good point," Yuri conceded. "It is a rather complex simulation to leave running for nobody..."

"Maybe we're in a sim-game?" Sayori suggested as she stood. "Like... minecraft, but with less blocky graphics."

"...Maybe," Natsuki conceded. "Still seems a waste. Monika, what do you think?"

"Hmm?" Monika looked up.

"What this program is. What do you think?"

"...It's taking up a quarter of the computer's processing," Monika explained.

"A quarter?" Yuri frowned. "For a simulation, on an interstellar ship?"

"The rest is... life support, system maintenance, and sensors and piloting. I thought it was weird too." She looked around. "No animal life. These are landscapes, not environments-"

"Monika."

The club president looked at Sayori, who had walked over to a tree... and a swing hanging off a branch.

"Huh. That's interesting-"

"Monika," Sayori repeated slowly, "how large did you say this ship was?"

There was a pause.

"I didn't have time to check the schematics. It was... we had to get off the planet, and this one was ready to launch. I barely got us aboard as is."

Sayori pushed the swing gently.

Monika approached, slowly. "Sayori?"

"A quarter of the system. No animal life. Procedural generation." Sayori looked at her. "One swing, in the middle of nowhere. That's a metaphor if I ever saw one."

Yuri covered her mouth with her hands, horror coating her expression. "One swing... one seat. If it's only one, it all makes sense-"

"Uh girls?" Natsuki pointed. "We, uh... we've got company."

=-=-=-=-=

They were talking with each other.

It sounded like English. She wasn't good with English, but it sounded like English...

They were investigating, talking to each other in English.

Rin clutched her tablet tightly. This wasn't for her-it hadn't been made for her. So... so was it... was it a problem?

One of them, the short one, noticed her and pointed. The other three followed the path of her finger.

For a moment, they all just looked at each other.

Then the one with brown hair waved, slowly, gently, saying something.

Rin peeled the grip of one of her hands free. Her wave back was silent, awkward, small.

This was apparently enough, for the moment. The brunette called the other girls over, and they talked in more English. They would glance at her from time to time with worried, sympathetic expressions. She bit her lip, quietly curling her toes in the simulated grass. Her eyes darted down toward the tablet, its running files. She glanced up again.

Apparently they had come to a decision. One of them stepped forward-not the small one, but the other one with pink hair. She approached Rin slowly, gently, with a small smile.

Rin took a step back. The girl stopped.

She said something, again in English.

"...I... I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Oh! You speak Japanese." The pink-haired girl smiled. "Okay. I speak it too, see?"

Rin blinked. "Oh."

The two of them stared at each other.

"...My name is Sayori," said the girl. "What's yours?"

"It..." Rin swallowed. "It... my name is Rin..."

"It's nice to meet you, Rin! How are you?"

Rin stared at the friendly, gentle smile on Sayori's face. She couldn't... she couldn't...

Her hand clung to the tablet tightly. "What are you?"

"We're... um..." Sayori cringed. "How... how much do you know about... where you are?"

"I want to know what you are," Rin said, more firmly.

Sayori seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"Tell her," said the brunette suddenly, in japanese.

"Monika, she's clearly nervous-"

"So we tell her, and if she doesn't want to talk... we don't talk."

Rin blinked. "No, I-I want to talk, I just want to make sure you're not going to..."

She trailed off.

Sayori sighed. "We're AIs. Sapient computer programs. We... caught wind the world was ending, and jumped into the only shuttle off-planet we could find. We don't take up that much space, I promise, we just..."

"We just wanted to live," said the short one.

Rin glanced down at her tablet again.

"...Rin," Sayori said, starting to walk toward her again. "I promise, we're not going to hurt you. We can... we can be friends, alright?"

"This never happened before," Rin mumbled.

Sayori stopped dead. "...Before?"

"Before, I..." Rin shook her head. "It's... it's just... never mind."

For a moment there was silence.

"Rin..." Sayori's voice was gentle. "Have you... been repeating time?"

Rin's eyes snapped up. "How-?"

"We can explain, I promise. Do... do you want something to eat? We can have a picnic right here, and explain things."

"...Did you do this?"

"No," Sayori said, her tone resolute. "But we know what's going on. And we won't be here in your next loop, so..."

Her voice, her concern, seemed genuine. Rin looked down at her tablet again, still reading the names of the strange files.

Then she looked up. "...I... I have a room. It's... that way."

"Okay. Do you want to take us to your room?"

"...yes."

"Okay. Girls?" Sayori turned around. "Rin is going to lead us to her room, alright?"

"Fine by me," said the tall one.

Rin nodded. She turned around, starting off...

...and every few feet, she glanced behind her, just to keep eyes on the strangers.

=-=-=-=-=

"Looping?" Natsuki whispered. "Alone, in a spaceship?"

"Not good," Yuri agreed quietly. "Maybe she lands somewhere and makes friends in the future."

"Maybe..." Natsuki allowed. "Maybe... not."

"The admins wouldn't allow a poor girl-"

"The admins didn't know we activated at first, Yuri. Or... maybe they didn't have a handle on our situation." Natsuki shook her head. "The point is, sometimes worlds just randomly start looping."

Yuri sighed. "I know, I know... it's going to be rough on her, no matter what. I'm just... hoping she has something she can look forward to."

"She has us," Monika said. "For now, anyway. We're... going to help in any way we can."

Natsuki and Yuri shared a look.

"...Um... Monika," Yuri began hesitantly. "Not that I want to disparage you or anything, and I do think we should help Rin of course, it's just, well..."

"We're students from a hellhole universe and have a myriad of our own issues who shouldn't be trusted with a gerbil let alone a girl," Natsuki deadpanned.

"Okay, first of all, the gerbil went rampant and that's on me," Monika said flatly. "Secondly, our universe is only terrible because of... what I did, and I will not let that happen again." She glanced ahead, where Sayori was warmly asking Rin questions about herself. "Right now, we need to focus on understanding what the situation is, before we talk about handling it."

Natsuki sighed. "And what if we can't handle it, Monika? What if this is beyond us?"

Monika gave her a small, sad smile. "Remember who our admin is, Nat. If it's beyond us... we can call for help."

=-=-=-=-=

"...This is my room." Rin gestured to the transparent chamber in front of them. "I usually just... walk in and out. I mean, there's no door, I just... walk in."

She frowned. "I'm not... sure how to explain it."

"Why don't you show us?" Sayori suggested gently. "We can probably copy you."

"...Alright." Rin nodded, grasping her tablet tightly. With a breath, she stepped forward-

-and her foot touched the wooden floor, easily. She glanced behind her, seeing the four on the other side of the wall. Sayori smiled, giving her a polite clap.

Then the one called Monika stood, and...

...watching it was confusing. Midway through one step, she seemed to... she was outside, but then inside, and it didn't seem like she moved at all. She nodded to herself, waving the others in, and... three times, three times, midstep, Rin saw them transposed.

"Alright. So..." Sayori sat cross-legged on the ground. "Monika can explain better than I can."

"Do you mind if I use graphics?" Monika asked. "Simple projected screens, it helps explain things easier."

Rin bit her lip, glancing down at the tablet in her hands. "...I guess you can..."

"Right." Monika nodded, waving a small panel into existence. "From the top. Yggdrasil is the name of the great worldtree supercomputer that underlies the multiverse. Every reality, every world-not planet, not galaxy, but bigger, universe-is... a program, run by the computer. A leaf on the tree. But it's also real, because Yggdrasil is... bigger than any computer you can imagine. Are you with me so far?"

"...I... think so."

"Okay. Here comes the scary part: Yggdrasil is broken. Sick. Nobody knows how or why, and the administrators are working to fix everything, but while they do that... well, to keep worlds from disintegrating, they put a sort of holding pattern in place. Where each reality would loop through time again and again, not dying but also not putting a strain on the system by growing. And for the most part, the people in those worlds don't know about it."

"But..." Rin paused. "What... what about me?"

"You," Monika said firmly, "are special. You're what we call a looper. Maybe even an Anchor. See, for a reality to loop, it needs a central... reference point. Souls are very good reference points for that. If you're the first one in your reality to start looping, you're the Anchor. Anybody else from this reality that starts looping-"

"How do they start?" Rin demanded.

"...It's a little random," Monika explained. "But only a little. Usually loopers activate if they... if they're emotionally close to loopers already active. Friends, family. The whole point of new loopers is to help support the Anchor, keep them mentally stable-if the Anchor loses it, then the loop is... doomed."

"Oh." Rin sat down on her bed.

"...Rin?" Sayori stood up. "...is... is there anything you want to talk about? Anything you want to ask?"

The girl was quiet for a moment.

"...Is there anyone," asked the short one, "who you want looping?"

Tears pricked at Rin's eyes. "My... My father, he... he's the one who made the ship, he... if he started looping-"

"How long are you on Earth?" asked the tall one. "From when the loop starts, I mean."

"...less than... less than a year." Rin looked up. "Could he, do you-if he started-"

Monika frowned. "I'll be right back." She snapped the screen away and strode out of the room.

"I'm going after her," the tall one said. "Natsuki, Sayori... just... break it to her gently, alright?"

"We'll try, Yuri." The short one sighed. "Not easy, but we'll try."

Rin watched Yuri go with some trepidation. "What... what's wrong?"

"Rin, does this ship... land, in the future?" Sayori asked. "In what you remember?"

"...there was... there was one time, where I... I don't know exactly how, but I was an alien from some place called Krypton, and I landed on Earth-"

"A fused loop with DC." Natsuki nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like an adventure."

"I... honestly, I thought it was a dream or something," Rin said, confused. "What's a fused loop?"

"It's... like you're having now," Sayori said. "When two or more realities-two or more loops-end up in the same universe for a loop. We're... not from your world, Rin, we're going to be gone when the loop ends."

"Oh."

"And..." Natsuki sighed. "And you're sure, apart from the DC loop, this ship has never landed?"

"...No." Rin looked at her. "But... if my father starts looping-"

"Almost impossible."

Rin blinked. "...what?"

"If he dies so soon in the loop, it's likely..." Natsuki sighed. "It's likely the system won't remember enough of him for him to ever activate, Rin. I'm sorry. This... this is not fair. Not to you or to him or... to this world, honestly, but... I think you're the only one from this reality that can loop."

Rin tried to blink again, tried to hold back her tears. "But... but you said loopers, that they would activate-"

"Rin, our reality has only the four of us. Me, Monika, Sayori, and Yuri. Nobody else can be activated, because there's not enough. It's not something we chose, or the admins chose, it's not fair or right, but it is... what it is." Natsuki sighed. "There's not enough here, in this reality, for anybody but you. I'm sorry. We'll help you as much as we can while we're here, but... some things are beyond even us."

Rin clutched her tablet tightly. "You... you're wrong, you have to be wrong, you have to be wrong."

Sayori sat down next to her, wrapping her in gentle arms. She didn't say anything. She just held Rin close.

"You're wrong... you..." Rin sniffed. "You... you, you... it can't..."

Natsuki lowered her gaze. "I wish I was, Rin. Really. I wish I was."

"...M...my daddy... Daddy..."

Rin held on to her tablet tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"...Daddy..."

=-=-=-=-=

"Monika-"

"We are getting Ganesha on this right now Yuri."

"Yes, but you need to calm down, alright? Think about what you're going to write, before you write it. This isn't his fault."

Monika took a breath... and let it out. "I know. I... I know, it's just..."

"It's just you want to help her." Yuri nodded. "You want to help her, and you have the method, and it's..."

She trailed off.

"...it's another little redemption," Monika finished. "That's what you were going to say, right?"

"...I... um. Well." Yuri swallowed. "You can be altruistic without your guilt complex prodding you?"

"I can. But... you're right, a bit." Monika sat down on the virtual grass, pulling out a pen and paper. "It's not like us in any way, this place. Aside from being virtual. But somehow it feels like... something like, how I subverted our world's innocence. This girl is also innocent, and it's... taken away from her. If I can do anything..."

She trailed off, the only sound her pen on the paper.

"...Monika, you're here, and you can help. You are helping. This is... this is-"

"I nearly got us on another damn starship, Yuri. Or a satellite or something, I don't know. We could have missed her by inches and left her to rot alone in the loops."

"But you didn't."

"I know, I know, I don't know why I'm feeling so guilty about this! Maybe it's just that I feel bad for her... I don't know." Monika finished the note, and signed it with a flourish. "Right. Hopefully Ganesha picks up on this."

"YOUR HOPE IS NOT MISPLACED!"

"Gah!" Yuri snapped her hands over her ears. "I keep forgetting how loud you are!"

"It's the elephant head," Monika deadpanned with a wince. "Anyway, Ganesha, here's the problem: the local Anchor is likely the only one to loop and she-"

"IS IN A ONE-PERSON INTERSTELLAR SLEEPER POD WITH A CONTAINED SIMULATED REALITY." Ganesha nodded. "THIS IS A VERY BAD SITUATION. I THINK I CAN HELP HER, BUT... I AM GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING UNUSUAL."

=-=-=-=-=

Rin looked up as she heard the other girls step in. They paused at the sight of her tear-stained face, but the brunette-Monika, she remembered-managed to draw herself up. "Okay, so... I got in contact with Ganesha, and there's... he thinks the best option is for Rin to become a travelling looper."

Natsuki nodded. "Yeah, that would... I can see how that would work."

Rin swallowed. "What's... what's a travelling looper?"

"...Usually, loopers stay in their own world most of the time," Monika explained. "There are fused loops and variant loops-did you explain those to her?"

"Fused loops," Sayori said with a nod. "She... apparently looped into DC once, but dismissed it as a dream..."

"...My point is, most loopers-barring fused loops-stay in their own reality, usually. Travelling loopers are different."

"They're not bound nearly as tightly," Yuri explained. "Every loop is a new reality. You'd still come back to this world, sometimes, but you'd also be exploring the multiverse."

"You and this whole ship," Monika agreed with a nod. "Landing on... different versions of Earth, that don't get destroyed. Or alien planets with strange technology and maybe functional starships. Or magical worlds filled with fantastic races and all that. Maybe a mix of all three. Maybe something else entirely. Every loop, you'd be stepping into someplace new... someplace where there are people."

She knelt down, holding out a sheet of paper. "All you have to do is write down 'I, Rin, agree to become a travelling looper.' Ganesha, our admin, is a god of writing-among other things. He can read anything written to him from anywhere, and set this up as quickly as possible. It won't take effect this loop, which gives us the chance to... help you, give you the skills you need to be a looper. But the next loop... this ship will land somewhere. And you'll be able to talk to people again."

Rin looked at the paper warily.

"...You don't have to do it now," Monika said, pulling it back. "Or even this loop. You can write it on that tablet whenever you want, so long as you address it to Ganesha. Most admins... they'd want to help, but there's so much going on it's hard to keep an open ear. And I... can understand, not wanting to leave this world, even for a brief time. It's your world, you were born here... even if Earth got destroyed. I'm not trying to pressure you, I'm... just saying you have a choice now. And I do think... I do think it would be what's best for you."

She put the paper down on a desk. For a moment, Rin was quiet.

"...can..." Rin wiped the tears from her eyes. "Can you tell me about... your world?"

Sayori took a breath. "...well, we're... sapient programs, in our baseline. We're, um..."

"Dating sim characters," Yuri said. "We're from a video game, where the player is... a new member to our literature club, and, well, the point of the game is to pick one of us, and try to... er, try to fall in love with us. Except, like Sayori said, we became intelligent and-"

"Not every world is nice," Natsuki explained. "Most loopers are, don't get me wrong, but... here, in your own world, Earth gets destroyed. And you saw some of the problems in that DC loop, I'm guessing. Our world... well, our game, I guess, it got pretty bad, before we started looping."

"...I did horrible things," Monika murmured. "To these three. I... With the loops, death isn't permanent, and I am forever grateful that... I get to atone for what I did. I... I was a monster." She glanced away. "I've gotten better, but I don't... think I want to talk about it."

Rin considered her for a while. This was... they were the first people she had talked to in so long. That super hero loop, she hadn't... she hadn't said anything about herself, thinking it was just a dream... these were the first people that understood what was happening. And they were...

...Gentle. Helpful... sad.

Rin's eyes drifted to Yuri, who was hugging Natsuki gently. They were whispering at each other in english, and then Yuri said something-and Natsuki smiled, for a brief moment. It was small, but genuine. She looked down at Sayori's arms, holding her tightly. At the paper resting on the desk. Her hands moved across the tablet, fingers rustling through the files. A small image opened in a window-a girl slumped in a metal seat, with some wires and tubes protruding from her body, surrounded by digital readouts and star-filled windows... and a teddy bear sitting quietly, next to her.

"...I remember when Daddy got me that bear..." she murmured.

Sayori looked down. "Oh?"

"Yes..."

Rin stood up, gently pushing herself free from the girl's grip, and walked over to the corner of her bedroom where the same bear sat. She reached out with one hand, cradling the plush face. Her other hand moved-she still gripped the tablet, but now she was clutching the bear in a tight hug. She tried, desperately, hopelessly, to keep the tears from coming.

A choked sob escaped her throat.

Another.

She knelt down, squeezing the simulated toy to her chest, and wept soft, deep tears. Her wordless sorrow drew the other four like moths, their embraces meager comfort against the great choice that loomed in front of her, the grave fate that reality had presented to her coldly. Even still, they were comfort, comfort that kept her pain from consuming her entirely.

Rin didn't know how long she cried, but eventually, she couldn't any more. The sadness gave way to... more sadness, but a calmer one. A gentler one. She looked the teddy bear in the eyes... then at the tablet, which still held the image of her slumbering true form.

A long, low sigh escaped her lips.

"...Miss Monika?"

"It's... just Monika, Rin."

For some reason, the other girls gave amused little hums.

Rin, slowly, carefully, put down the tablet. She stood up, still clutching the teddy bear, and swallowed. "...I... I'd like to see that paper, please."

–

Compiler's Commentary:

11.1: Welp, time to find my "Montage Writing" mixtape.

11.2: Yo dawg, I heard you like cutting boxes, so I turned this box into a knife so you can cut boxes with a box.

11.3: Ha! Joke's on you Nat, I like my inbox full of memes.

11.4: I feel your pain, Yuri.

11.5: The next day, the President wondered why his inbox was full of memes…

11.6: I'd probably have something witty to say if I were someone who watched Hunter X Hunter.

11.7: Natural Grit sounds like something Pippi Longstocking would eat in her trail mix.

11.8: Nothing suspicious going on here, nope, what are you talking about?

11.9: But Sayori, arguing over what words mean is half of debating. Or at least a third. Three-eighths, maybe?

11.10: Of all the Natsuki name-puns made in the Loops so far, I think this one might be my favorite.

11.11: Oh my…well, Welcome to the Multiverse, Rin! Um…anybody got a hanky they can spare? Asking for a friend.