Chapter 18.
SUPER-EXTRA-SPECIAL DOKI DOKI LITERATURE CLUB FIRST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION LOOP COMPILATION!
So, last month was the first year anniversary of DDLC's release. Let that sink in, folks. It's been a year, already, since Team Salvato unleashed this very, very special kind of kawaii HELL into our lives. I can't say it's been a full year for me, personally. I was a couple months late to the party. Thankfully, I did get into it before anyone could spoil me, so I got to enjoy/suffer the full Doki Doki experience.
This time last year, if someone told me a VN would have consumed so much of my life…I'll be honest, this time last year I was still struggling with some Kingdom Hearts fanfics, and I wasn't a member of the Infinite Loops Project either. I wasn't even a Spacebattles member. This time last year I was also unemployed and life was just…generally not the best for me? As a matter of fact, I was in a pretty low point and playing something like DDLC should, by all accounts, not have done me any favors at all. Y'know that warning about DDLC not being suitable for the depressed, the anxious, or the easily disturbed? Yeah, by all logic I never should have given DDLC a second look, let alone a playthrough.
Let alone five playthroughs.
But instead of exacerbating my depression, DDLC lit a fire inside of my heart. The Dokies came to feel like little sisters to me, and I developed a mild obsession with writing a happier ending for them. I'm not a modder, so I fell back to my fanfics. Before I could make a lot of progress on that, a friend recommended the RWBY Infinite Loops to me, and got fairly incessant about it, so I fell into that timesink…
So my nascent DDLC fic fell to the wayside as I dove into the Infinite Loops, and then Spacebattles member Wookywok accidentally posted a DDLC snip to the wrong thread, bringing my attention to the fact that the Indie Games: Infinite Loops thread exists and that DDLC was Looping. So I jumped headfirst into that. Then, for whatever reason, Keluvax, the Spacebattles member that started the DDLC Loops and made the original compilation, just fell off of the grid. None of us have any idea what's become of her, but I hope and pray it isn't something too bad. Anyways, after she'd been gone for a while Masterweaver (who you may have noticed has been very productive lately, if you pay attention to the authors of the various snips) nominated me to step up as the new compiler, and after a while OracleMask, head of the Indie Games: Infinite Loops thread, gave me the go-ahead.
And now here we are!
So please enjoy!
(EDIT: I don't know how I could have possibly failed to do so when I put this chapter together so long ago, but somehow I neglected to credit Loops writer BIOS-Pherecydes for writing the poems that Masterweaver and I used here. To reclaim my honor, I must now commit Sudoku. Fortunately, I'm pretty alright at logic puzzles, but it's still going to take me some time to work my way through this book of 100,000 Sudoku puzzles. BUT MY HONOR DEMANDS IT!)
Scene 1 (by Masterweaver)
"Keep your eyes closed, Hiroaka..." Sayori giggled as she led her faceless friend down the school hall. "Just a little further and..."
She slid open the door to the club room and dragged him in, gesturing around the room. "TADAAAAA! Happy birthday, Hiroaka!"
Monika clapped as they entered, nodding to them both. Yuri tugged a few confetti poppers, showering them with colored bits of paper. Natsuki blew on a party noisemaker with a deadpan expression.
"What, did you think I'd forget? That's silly, you're silly!" Sayori playfully batted at his arm. "Come on, Natsuki made cake and cupcakes and Yuri made tea and punch and Monika, well, I think Monika's the one that put up all the banners isn't she?"
"It is a REMARKABLE COINCIDENCE that we were all born today," Natsuki commented in a stilted tone. "The exact same number of years ago."
"Yes," Yuri added, much more believably. "I wonder what that says about our parents?"
"Well, whatever the case, which I don't want to speculate about, I hope nobody minds that we're making this a five-way birthday party." Monika smiled at Hiroaka. "Oh, it's alright if you didn't know. We got gifts for you and each other, you didn't need to get anything for us."
"Oh, but he did!" Sayori revealed, her hand darting into Hiroaka's satchel. "He got us all... LUNCH!"
Yuri gasped politely. "Wow. What well-crafted submarine sandwiches! It must have taken you quite a bit of effort to make them."
"They are so long," Natsuki recited tonelessly. "And so full of meat. I can't wait to get my mouth around one."
Monika shot her a look before her face once again took an innocent smile. "I don't think any of us can. They certainly look delicious."
"And he's brought enough to share!" Sayori decreed.
All the girls laughed... well, Natsuki chanted 'Ha Ha Ha Ha' with her arms crossed grumpily. And then, abruptly, Monika held up a hand.
"Okay, player's gone, we can get to the real celebration now."
"Awwwwww," Sayori pouted. "I was having fun!"
"I wasn't," Natsuki quipped.
Yuri rolled her eyes. "Yes, that was quite evident."
"Hiroaka's one of us too," Sayori pointed out. "No matter what you think of him-"
"I know, I know, geeze! I'm sorry, it's just..." Natsuki shook her head and gave Sayori a pleading look. "Can we not... talk about this today? Can we just have fun, as a club, like we... like we should have in baseline?"
Sayori looked at her expression and... nodded. "Alright, alright." She spun around with a grin. "So! As Vice President, I move we get this one-year anniversary celebration started."
"All in favor?" Monika asked. Four hands shot up, with Hiroaka's held up by Sayori a moment afterward. "All opposed?" There were no hands this time. "...Okay, everyone! It's time to party!"
Scene 2 (by Wookywok)
"Alright," Yuri began, "so it was clear from the name that this wasn't going to be your average party game." She examined the rifle in her hand and chuckled. "Still, I wasn't quite expecting Ultimate Pin the Tail on the Donkey to be this... ultimate."
"We're Loopers. Normal's not even in our vocabulary," Natsuki replied, lifting her blindfold from her eyes. "Besides, the Holodeck makes a great shooting range." She Unpocketed a pair of binoculars and began peering into the distance - more specifically, at the large concrete wall painted with a picture of a giant donkey. "Aw, dammit. Missed."
Scene 3 (by me)
"Oh Yuuuuuuuriiiiiiii~" Sayori sang.
"…yes?" her tall friend replied.
"HAPPY ANNI-BIRTH-SARY!" Sayori screamed before throwing a small box at her face. With ninja-like reflexes, Yuri caught it without changing her expression.
"You mean 'anniversary', right?" asked Yuri.
Natsuki jumped out of her seat and pointed at Sayori and said, "Your next line is: 'That's exactly what I said.'"
"No, I meant to say anni-birth-sary," Sayori said blithely. She waved a hand and opened a screen in midair, showing the DDLC subreddit. "I got it from our AWESOMESAUCE fanbase! It isn't even noon yet and they've already posted a bunch of adorable fanart of us!"
"Sayori what have I told you about showing our fanart in the clubroom?!" demanded Monika, coming back from the supply closet with paper plates and walking into the conversation without context.
"No lewds here, Moni," said Sayori with an eyeroll. "Just anni-birth-sary fanart."
"Oh, well that's okay then," said Monika.
Natsuki, meanwhile, looked completely aghast. "No…no…NOOOOOOOOOOO! I screwed it up! Forgive me, Joseph!" Natsuki screamed to the heavens, falling down on her knees.
Sayori whipped out a slingshot and used it to send a supernaturally pink cupcake straight into Natsuki's mouth. The sounds of ultimate despair were quickly replaced by the sounds of happy nomming.
"So anyways, open up your anni-birth-sary present, Yuri!" Sayori squealed.
"You're not going to stop pushing that word, are you," Monika sighed.
"Well, I am Pinkie Pie's a-pie-rentice," Sayori quipped.
"Okay, that one hurt," Natsuki spoke up, "That physically hurt me, Sayori. How dare you," she deadpanned. Sayori shot another pinkcake at her. "All is forgiven~" Natsuki chirped.
Meanwhile, Yuri was tearing into the box. Her eyes widened as she pulled out a slim, seven-inch long matte-black cylinder with silver lilies etched into it. "No way," Yuri gasped softly.
"Could it be?" asked Monika, eyes wide as saucers.
Natsuki walked over to join the others and glanced around Yuri's shoulder at the object. "Oooooooooh snap!"
"Well?! Act–er, wait, ever'body back up. Okay Yuri, activate it!" Sayori crowed.
Everyone backed up, and Yuri assumed a ready stance before clicking the switch on the device. A dark purple blade of electromagnetically-suspended plasma shot out with a snap-hiss, extending out to about three and a half feet. Yuri's eyes were the widest any of her friends had ever seen.
"I mean…traditionally, one is supposed to craft their own lightsaber," said Sayori, "But legacy weapons aren't unheard of, and you're not even a Force-sensitive so you wouldn't be able to assemble it the old-fashioned way anyhow. Still, I know you about as well as anyone can know anybody else, so…I'm pretty sure I managed to make it the way you would have. And I wish I could say I did it all by myself…but I kinda needed Mace's help finding the right crystals. I…uh, actually made it a while ago, but figured it was the kind of gift that deserved a special oc–eep!"
Sayori squeaked as Yuri deactivated and Pocketed her new lightsaber before pulling her into a back-cracking hug. "Thank you, so much Sayori!"
Sayori giggled and returned the hug with interest. "You're very welcome, Yuri~"
Off on the side, Monika heard a loud sniff and glanced aside at Natsuki. Before she could say anything, Natsuki snapped at her, "I'm not crying! You're crying!"
Scene 4 (by Awesomedude17)
Monika looked over the notepad in her hand and tapped her chin with a pen.
"Thinking of a celebratory poem, Monika?" Yuri asked.
"Yeah. I think we all should do one."
"You hear that, girls?"
Sayori and Natsuki nodded, taking out some paper and pens themselves.
"End of the day, we read them out."
"Good plan," Monika wrote down the basic structure of the poem to start off with.
Scene 5 (by DrTempo)
As Monika prepared to write her poem, she was thinking to herself.
Who would have thought things would be like this. After what I did in baseline...all the cruel things I did...
I was a monster back then. I ruined other people's lives for my own reasons, and all because I thought it wouldn't mean anything. And then I became an Anchor. I knew I had done horrible things, and I wanted to atone. In a way, I guess that makes me similar to that Sunset Shimmer person Sayori talks about.
She never did the cruel sorts of things I did, but she knew she had made mistakes. And when my friends started Looping, they were rightfully angry at me at first. But, I showed that I had changed, and now, we're great friends.
And compared to what I wanted in baseline, having their friendship is better than that. I was such a fool. But, I'm not that person anymore. My past is not today.
With that, Monika began writing her poem...
Scene 6 (by Masterweaver)
"Spider cupcakes," Yuri mused. "You remembered!"
"Yeah, I said I'd do them, and here they are." Natsuki handed her one with a grin. "Making arachnid faces took a lot of research, let me tell you. Placement of the eyes, figuring out the mandibles..."
"You went with some sort of jumping spider, I see."
"Yeah, I did a quick search on cute spiders and... well, I mean, they wear water droplets as hats, so... yeah." Natsuki rubbed her head awkwardly. "I mean, I know I could have done something more traditionally creepy, but-"
"It's fine. I love it." Yuri gave her a small smile. "I almost don't want to eat it, it's just... so well crafted."
"...but you're going to, right?"
"Oh, yes of course."
"Right, because... keeping a cupcake without eating it kind of defeats the purpose of the cupcake."
"She's going to keep ~watch~ing you until you ~eaaaat~ it," Sayori singsonged.
"The cat has brought you a kill," Monika intoned. "A gift from the hunt. What will you do, Yuri?"
Natsuki huffed. "I can hear you, you know."
Yuri giggled, finally biting down into the treat. "Mmm... delicious as ever, Nats."
Scene 7 (by Masterweaver)
"So how is this going to work? The gift-giving, I mean." Natsuki gestured around the room. "Is Monika going to receive all her presents, or give all her presents, or are we going to go round robin by receiver or giver, is it going to be one session or-"
"Daisychain," Yuri said, thrusting a gift-wrapped prism at her. "Sayori gave me hers, now I'm giving you one of mine, and you can give one to whoever whenever."
"...Yeah, I guess that makes the most sense." Natsuki took the present, feeling it out. "Is this some sort of book?"
"We are a literature club. We must each give one book and receive one book." Yuri stood tall. "It is in the rules that I am just now legislating and enforcing."
"...Yeah, okay, I got you a book too, but!" Natsuki held up a hand. "You're going to have to wait for it. Let me open this up..."
She tore open the wrapping paper... and blinked. "Wait... wait, wait wait, is this-? You actually found a copy of this?!"
"I heard about it a while ago and, well, it just so happens that the Yo-Kai watch loop we visited is anchored by her brother, so..."
"Ruby Rose's Multiversal Cookie Catalog," Natsuki breathed. "I mean... this is the one with more than cookies, isn't it?"
"And the forward by the flying spaghetti monster, I checked. I figured you'd like something like this."
"Oh, yes, I LOVE this." Natsuki wrapped her arms around the taller girl. "Thank you so much, Yuri! I promise you're going to get first taste out of what I make!"
Yuri giggled, hugging Natsuki back. "Oh curses, you've figured out my sinister plan."
Scene 8 (by me)
"Welp, if Sayori gave Yuri something and Yuri gave me something, guess I should give Monika her gift next," said Natsuki, holding up a rectangular package. "And wouldn't you know it, it's a book!"
Monika snatched it and tore the wrapping off, grinning eagerly. Then her expression crumpled and she stared at Natsuki flatly, holding up the book. "Programming for Dummies. Seriously?"
"No, not seriously," said Natsuki, cracking up. "That was just a gag. Obviously. C'mon, whattaya take me for?"
She handed Monika a much larger, more traditional-looking gift-wrapped box with a big green bow on top. Monika eyed it suspiciously, glanced at Natsuki and her small, innocent smile, and opened it. She almost dropped the box. "Oh…oh my…" Monika murmured. She sat down in a chair, quickly, as if her legs had been about to give out.
Inside were four stuffed animals: a cat, a dog, a raccoon, and an owl. The cat was bright pink and had a chef's hat perched between its ears, with a wooden spoon attached to one paw and a whisk attached to the other. The dog was a peach-toned cocker spaniel with blue eyes and a red bow on the side of her head, with a blue ball covered in red hearts in its mouth. The raccoon was lavender with black stripes and purple eyes; its snout was stuck into a book held in its front paws, and it was held so that the raccoon's eyes were just barely peeking over the top. Finally, the owl was brown with green eyes, with a large white bow on its head, and it was perched on top of a piano.
The owl was the biggest of the four, with the dog and raccoon both coming up to owl's neck, and the cat–or kitten, more like–coming up to the dog and raccoon's chests. The animals were arranged so that the owl was sitting in one corner, with the dog to the right, the raccoon to the left, and the cat in between them. The owl had its wings wrapped around the other three animals, and it had a smile on its beak. Above the owl's head, stretched across the corner it sat in, was a little banner that said "Doki Doki Plushy Club!"
It should go without saying that the animals, both as individuals and as a group, were almost sickeningly adorable.
"You can press each key on the piano," Natsuki added, "And each one plays one of our themes. All but the, uh, y'know. Creepy ones…"
Monika practically tackled Natsuki and gave her a crushing hug. "Thank you," she gasped, half-sobbing.
"Good God it's just a gift don't lose your shit on me," Natsuki yelped.
"GROUP GLOMP!" cried Sayori, throwing herself on top of Monika and Natsuki, sort-of-but-not-really-accidentally knocking all three of them to the ground. Yuri slowly and demurely walked over to the three girls, who were half-wrestling as Natsuki tried to shove Monika off, Monika squeezed her tighter and tighter, and Sayori was just trying to cuddle them both.
Then Yuri just flopped down across all three of them, giggling impishly.
Scene 9 (by Masterweaver)
Sayori plopped herself down next to Natsuki. "Hey."
"Sup."
"Not much."
"Cool."
The two of them looked around the room.
"...You know, we never really hang out one on one."
"What?"
"It's always us as part of the club, when we get together. Which... isn't bad, don't get me wrong, but... What have we got, as friends, that no other friendship in this club has?"
Natsuki frowned. "We're... the cute ones?"
"I thought you didn't like being cute."
"Yeah, that was back when 'cute' was equated with 'powerless child who gets no respect.' And even now..." Natsuki nodded toward Yuri and Monika. "Can you see them getting excited over something kawaii? I mean I'm sure they'd like it, but they wouldn't fangirl over it. Not like we would."
"Well, I guess not," Sayori conceded. "So you're okay with being the cute one?"
"As long as you understand cute does not mean small, frail, and helpless."
"Of course not! My mentor is Pinkie frikkin' Pie, the only thing cuter than her in her home universe is Fluttershy and... well, we all know how terrifying both of them can be."
Natsuki chuckled. "Oh yeah, that's right. So... if it's just us, we can be the kawaii loving balls of badass?"
"...you know what? Sure thing."
Scene 10 (by Black Omochao)
"This is turning out to be the best anni-birth-sary ever!" Sayori giggled as she danced around the room.
"I thought you were done saying that," Natsuki groaned.
"Nope!" Sayori grinned, leaning against the wall, before spotting someone standing next to her. "Hmm, Hiroaka? When did you move over here?"
"Huh?" Monika blinked, glancing over where she saw the blank-faced MC previously, before looking back over at where he now stood by Sayori. "… Hmmm."
"What's on your mind, buddy? You think this anni-birth-sary is awesome too, right?" Sayori smiled widely, ignoring as Natsuki facepalmed.
Hiroaka said nothing as he stared at Sayori with his expressionless face, before he suddenly slumped over, four small items falling off his person.
"Huh, Hiroaka? You okay?" Sayori looked concerned, before she glanced down at the objects that had dropped from him and blinked. "… Guys!"
"We're all in the same room, Sayori. You don't have to yell," Yuri pointed out.
"What is it?" Monika questioned curiously.
Sayori gained a huge smile as she lifted up four small items, wrapped with bows colored the same as the hair of the dokis. "Hiroaka got us presents!"
"… What," Natsuki's expression went blank.
"Oh, happy anni-birth-sary to you too, Hiroaka! You didn't have to do that!" Sayori cheered as she handed each of her Looping friends their presents.
"But… I know he does unexplained stuff sometimes, but… this doesn't make any sense, right?" Yuri asked as she was handed a soda can with a dark bow. She and Natsuki both looking towards Monika for answers.
"I… yeah, I don't know. I say don't question it," the president admitted with a shake of her head, being handed a pack of gummy bears from Sayori.
"Aw, you got me a can of coffee! That's so sweet!" Sayori gushed over the gift from her faceless friend.
"Thank you, Hiroaka," Yuri smiled, staring at the soda she was given. "… I think."
Natsuki frowned as she looked at her 'gift,' before glaring in Hiroaka's direction with a look that was somewhere between befuddlement, annoyance and resignation. "Peanuts…?"
"Hmm…" Monika looked at her gummy bears.
"Happy anni-birth-sary Hiroaka! Happy anni-birth-sary everyone!" Sayori cheered as she grabbed Hiroaka in a hug
"Stop saying that!" Natsuki snapped, still glaring at the pack of peanuts she was given.
Monika stared at Hiroaka with a suspicious look for a moment, before shaking her head with a dismissive wave.
Scene 11 (by me)
The clubroom was literally half-full of candy. It had been completely full of candy, until Yuri had made it over to a window and opened it. "Natsuki, what did you use to make that piñata?" asked Monika.
"Sayori made the piñata, I just filled it," Natsuki countered before she Majin'd up and started inhaling the candy. The other three quickly started Pocketing armfuls until the room was mostly cleared of the sweet sugary debris.
"I didn't make the piñata either. I commissioned it from Master Pinkie. I just converted it into code," explained Sayori as they cleaned the mess. After they were done she clapped her hands and said, "Well, it's been a while since the last gift. Monika, you ready?"
"Yeah, guess I'm next," said Monika a bit hesitantly, pulling a gift-box out of thin air. "And for the sake of closing the circle, my first gift is for Sayori. Here you go, Vee-pee."
"Yay~" Sayori bubbled, taking the hefty box and setting it down. She ripped the wrapping off and opened the box. As soon as she did, glaringly bright light poured out. It was as if sunlight was shooting up out of the box. No heat, though. A pair of 8-bit pixelated sunglasses materialized on Sayori's face, then she reached into the box. She pulled out a glass bottle, one of a dozen that were in the box. It was full of clean, white light.
"The…um, the cap doesn't, uh, come off. It's more like a dial? Left to dim, right to bright. They're tuned to your voice, and you can…um…give them commands, I guess? Like 'color shift: pink' or 'visual effect: strobe' or something like that. Or 'copy color', which will make the light assume the exact shade of color of whatever surface the bottle is sitting on. There's a manual that fully explains the command prompt system inside the box."
Sayori's "sunglasses" glitched out of existence as she twisted the cap left until the light was dim enough to be comfortably looked at directly. She just stared at it owlishly. Her expression didn't change at all, but tears started slipping down from the corners of her eyes. "It's a bottle full of light," she said, very softly.
"…well, I just…figured it was high time I gave you these back," said Monika, rubbing the side of her face awkwardly.
Calmly, Sayori placed the bottle back in the box, then dimmed down all the other bottles before closing the box, so that the next time she opened it she wouldn't be blinded. She laid a hand on the box, and it disappeared into her Pocket. Then, she slowly walked over to Monika and gently wrapped her arms around her, squeezing tightly. "Thank you, Monika," she said in a small, shaky voice.
"Happy Anni-birth-sary, little buddy," Monika said back.
Off to the side, Yuri leaned down and whispered to Natsuki, "Let me guess. You're not crying, I'm crying?"
Natsuki rolled her eyes and elbowed Yuri in the side, even as she was blowing her nose into a frilly handkerchief. "Shuddup," she muttered with a smile.
Scene 12 (by me)
After everyone had recovered from the latest feels trip, Sayori conjured another gift box. "Natsuki's is next. Been holding onto this one for centuries. Fortunately, things don't age physically in data-form; otherwise I'm not sure I could have kept this in such pristine condition," she said as she handed the box to Natsuki.
Expression curious, Natsuki opened the box and pulled out a book. It was titled in Japanese, and the cover depicted a small boy with a red cap turned backwards on his head; the title translated to 'Diary of Ma-chan'. Natsuki recognized it instantly, but she didn't really react until she opened it and saw what was scrawled on the inside of the front cover, also in Japanese:
'For little Natsuki-chan'
'From Tezuka Osamu'
"Hu-wha-ba-fuuuuu," Natsuki garbled as her eyes rolled back and she almost collapsed on the spot. Fortunately Yuri was right next to her and caught her by the arm before her bottom could meet the floor. Natsuki looked torn between passing out and hyperventilating.
"…okay, I'll bite," said Monika, "I'm no manga aficionado. Sayori, what did you just give her?"
Sayori opened her mouth, but Yuri beat her to the metaphorical buzzer. "Osamu Tezuka's very first published manga–a collection of all seventy-two strips, I'm assuming–with his autograph, addressed to Natsuki," she recited.
"Yeah. Woke Up one Hub-loop as a World War Two Imperial Japanese nurse. Was not a fun time. Buuuut, I managed to meet the man himself and get this copy signed. Told him Natsuki was my daughter's name. Heh-heh," said Sayori, rubbing the back of her head.
"Osamu Tezuka…" Monika murmured, eyes skyward in search of recollection. "He's that old mangaka that did Black Jack and Astro Boy, right?"
"Tetsuwan Atom, you pleb!" Natsuki suddenly exclaimed, coming back to her senses and looking slightly indignant.
Even Yuri was staring at Monika coolly. "Really, Monika? Manga is one of the biggest passions of one of your dearest friends, and you can't be bothered to remember the name of the man that all Japanese know as the godfather of manga?"
"…um…you do realize we're technically not…er…" Monika's voice died off under the weight of Yuri and Natsuki's cold glares. Sayori had taken a step back and seemed to be admiring the ceiling.
"Alright, fine. I apologize sincerely for my blasphemous ignorance of otaku lore, alright?" Monika sighed.
"It's like if one of us gave you an autograph from Socrates, or Roger Bacon," said Yuri, "Or if Sayori had given me an autograph from Edgar Allen Poe, or H.P. Lovecraft. You know?"
"Alright, yes, I get it. I'm sorry," Monika said more sincerely.
"Thanks, Sayori!" Natsuki suddenly gushed, giving their vice president a big hug. As she did so, she side-eyed Monika and said, "Your present better be pretty mindblowing, Prez, because it's got some tough acts to follow."
"…it's not a competition, Nats," Sayori admonished her monotonously.
Scene 13 (by Masterweaver)
"Okay. Okay so, my turn again?" Natsuki cleared her throat. "Well, let's not make this circular. Yuri?"
Yuri blinked. "What... yes?"
"I have something special for you." She held out a rectangular package. "I can almost promise you have never seen anything like it."
"Almost?" Yuri mused, taking it and working open the wrapping. "Why?"
"For one, it's written by a looper. For another, it's sixth edition. And, well... Leeeet's just say I really had to work up the gumption to talk to the people who had the book..."
Yuri finished unwrapping the gift and looked, bemused, at a plain black book with unassuming silver letters. "'Anything Can Instill Fear' by... who is Mike Schmidt?"
Monika's eyes shot wide. "Five Nights is Looping?!"
"Yeah, that was my reaction too," Natsuki admitted, "but on the whole it's not the worst reality, and the loopers are... not nearly as terrible as they were in baseline. We swapped stories about trauma, got to know each other, and I mean... come on, cats have sharp teeth and people think they're cute. So, yeah, I got this off of them."
Yuri opened the book, looking over the table of contents. "I assume it's a horror collection?"
"Yeah. I mean I haven't read it, not my thing, but apparently they collected all kinds of horror stories, from good to bad, as an examination of the flexibility and possibility of the genre. And of course, I know you like horror, so-"
"Oh, yes. This... this is going to last me a good long while." Yuri smiled at Natsuki. "Thank you. Truely, I know this must have been a lot more uncomfortable for you than you're pretending it is."
"What, getting a book of wildly varied horror stories from a collection of the mutliverse's most infamous subversions of cuteness and jump-scare experts and carrying it around for a few dozen loops until today? Naaaaaah, it was... it was..." Natsuki shook her head. "Alright, fine, maybe it was a little creepy for me. But hey, you have it now, you like it, everything's golden, do you have something you want to give somebody?"
Scene 14 (by Masterweaver)
"Hmmmm." Yuri considered for a moment. "Well... Monika, here you go."
Monika took the gift-wrapped package and opened it... then rolled her eyes. "'A Beginner's Guide to Programming.' Did you and Natsuki plan this?"
"Surprisingly, no." Yuri handed her a large envelope with a small grin. "But yes, that was a gag gift. Here's your real one."
The club president gave her a wary look, but opened the envelope and looked inside. For a moment, she could do naught but stare.
"It's... not much, I suppose," Yuri admitted, running her fingers through her hair. "I mean, I tried to think of something personal, and... this is really the best I could think of."
Monika reached in, delicately withdrawing the envelope's content. At first glance, perhaps, it looked like a quill, made of the feather of some large black bird. But a closer examination would reveal oddities; the barbs were not merely smooth divisions, but bent and interlaced at oddly mathematical angles, catching light and refracting in a pattern that most would associate with a circuit board. The shaft of the quill was wrapped not in soft feathers, nor the hard metal of a nib's shank; it was graced, gently, by a grip suited perfectly for her fingers. A small light pulsated up the core when she held it, and the whole thing seemed to twist, just slightly, angling to let her see the point clearly.
"...It's... well, it's a bit of a fancy blend of magic and technology," Yuri admitted. "It took me a while to figure out how to make it, I... don't usually work on things like this. The, um, feather spots can be used to change the color of the ink, the thickness of the lines... I wanted it to be able to generate endless ink, but the best I could do was have drain the core of pencils as a source. I did put my notes on the design in that envelope, if you think you... if you need to improve on it-"
"It... it's lovely, Yuri." Monika smiled at her. "It really is."
Scene 15 (by Masterweaver)
"Okay..." Monika rubbed her head awkwardly. "So... Yuri. In some ways, you are the one who I hurt the most, and... as much as this is a celebration of how far we've come, for me it is also a way to... make amends, I suppose." She pursed her lips. "So... I've done some research and... well.."
A box was brought forth, gently, awkwardly. Yuri took it, quirking an eyebrow, and carefully pulled out a complex set of interposed gears.
"...Um." She turned it around. "Oh! It's... a hairclip, I guess...?"
"It, um... well..." Monika cleared her throat. "It... can get an empathetic read on your state of mind. I included an instruction manual, but... you know... in case you get affected by any mind-altering stuff... it'll let you know, with the motion of the wheels. There's a matched wristband, so you don't have to take it off your head, if..."
She trailed off.
Yuri nodded, slowly. "I... understand. Really, I do. It's actually a very thoughtful gift, Monika, thank you. I... I'll make sure to look it over in detail."
Scene 16 (by Masterweaver)
"Why do we call him Hiroaka, though?" Natsuki waved a hand. "I mean, he's the Main Character, an Insert Name Here, and sure that's a mouthful and giving him a name makes it easier for us to talk about him, but... why Hiroaka, of all things?"
"...That was the name entered in my first loop," Monika admitted. "And... I guess I might have just kept calling him that, even after Sayori started looping... just filled in the name myself?"
"Really? That's it?"
"It's also... kind of a pun? Hero, also known as... Hiroaka."
"Mmmhmm..."
"What? What are you mmhmming, hmm?"
"Sayori. Natsuki. Yuri. And... Monika." Natsuki smirked at her, though her eyes seemed oddly soft. "Sure you weren't just a little lonely there, prez?"
Monika glanced away. "...I definitely was lonely," she admitted, in an undertone.
"...yeah, well, you aren't now."
"No... I'm not. Thanks, Nats. You know, for... giving me a chance, even after everything."
"...yeah, sure, whatever."
Scene 17 (by Masterweaver, poem written by BIOS-Pherecydes)
I have a special bubble
I keep all my important things inside it, tucked away safely where they can never be found
If I keep my bubble protected, nothing can hurt me
As long as I hold it tight nothing can ever pop it
When I'm by myself sometimes I like to listen to my bubble
It's not very loud but I can always hear it
A soft, gentle beat that only my bubble can play
Even if it's not that good it's still a song only for me
Sometimes it's hard to hold onto my bubble
It wants to dance in the sunlight and be carried away on gentle wind
It's dangerous to let it float freely though
Because it wouldn't take much to break it
If I gave my bubble away to someone, would I get one in return?
Would whoever found my bubble watch over it carefully?
I hope so
Since I already let it go
Please take good care of it
Sayori's eyes fell as she finished her poem. "I... I know it's not exactly the most uplifting poem I've written. But, you know, I just... I felt like... if it's just us, and if we're being honest-"
"It's a very deep expression," Yuri assured her. "The structure... resonates. I think I... I think it touches the readers deeply... or the intended audience, I suppose..."
"Yeah, the metaphors, and the... the words, they..." Natsuki fumbled for a bit, before sighing. "Screw it. Group hug for Sayori?"
"Group hug for Sayori," Monika agreed. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of your bubble."
Sayori gave a tearful smile as she was enveloped in three pairs of arms. "You all already do..."
Scene 18 (by me)
"I mean…it's kind of a poor follow-up to what you gave me, but–"
"I'm going to have to stop you, right there," Sayori interjected, "Like I told Natsuki, this isn't a competition. I know how you work; whatever you got me, I already know you put an insane amount of thought into it, and it'll probably take me years before I realize just how perfect it really is."
"Ah…"
"And now you've gone and given her performance anxiety. GG, Ri-Ri," Natsuki said dryly. Then she blew into a noisemaker.
Yuri cleared her throat, and then presented her gift box to Sayori. Sayori then proceeded to tear into the box, lovingly yet ferociously. Like a hamster starved for affection. Truly, the stuff of nightmares, that image.
As soon as she opened the box, she squeed and dropped the box, Force Levitating the gift itself between her hands. "Oh gosh, is this what I think it is?!" Sayori asked.
"Please tell me it's not that cursed comb from Snow White," said Natsuki.
"Why would Yuri give Sayori that? Why would Sayori hope it was that?" Monika asked.
"Yuri's got creepy tastes and Sayori's a Sith lord. They could probably get up to some seriously sinister chicanery if they wanted to," replied Natsuki.
"Oh wow, we really could!" Sayori said excitedly as she removed her hairbow.
"See what I mean?" said Natsuki. "I don't think you realize how much our friendly little VP has taken the whole 'Dark Side' thing to heart, Monika. Heck, between her steadily increasing deviancy and your unrelenting contrition, I'm starting to wonder which of you I really need to be keeping an eye on."
"Good thing you've got two, then!" chirped Sayori, who was running her new comb through her hair.
Which was now shoulder-length.
"The heck?" asked Natsuki.
"I mean, clearly it's one of those 'make the hair longer' combs from a beauty boutique game. Probably Barbie or some such," said Monika. "Didn't you ever play one as a kid, Nats?"
"No, I played RPGs and VNs, like a proper geek," said Natsuki.
Meanwhile, Yuri gave Monika a peeved look. "This isn't something I just picked up in another game Loop. It's a gift I made myself, using some of the Umbran magic Miss Bayonetta taught me."
"Oh…yeah, that makes sense. A comb like that would be useful for an Umbran Witch to have," said Monika.
"Ohmygosh is this gonna–"
"No, sorry, it's not going to make your hair magic…and how long are you going to grow it out?" asked Yuri. Sayori's hair was starting to pool around her feet.
"Well, I was thinking, if this comb won't give me hair powers, maybe I could just grow out a bunch of my hair, cut it off, and turn it into a whip!" said Sayori.
"A Sayori hair-whip. Huh." Monika started looking thoughtful.
"Thanks Yuri!" Sayori squealed happily…stilling combing her hair out.
Scene 19 (by me)
Monika's eyes widened as soon as Sayori presented her with a parcel wrapped up in a bright green bow. Despite Natsuki and Yuri's gags, Monika trusted Sayori implicitly. Without a second thought, she tore off the wrapping. Immediately, her face fell, and she looked up at Sayori with the expression of a kicked puppy. In her hands was a copy of the most recent edition of Princess Cadence and Slaanesh's The Big Book of Love, a famous Looper book on the art of pursuing romance. Monika's reaction was to narrow her eyes to slits and chuck the book at Sayori, who ducked to avoid it. "Dang it, Sayori, we've gone over this a billion times!"
"And we'll go over it a trillion times more until I get my point across!" Sayori fired back, arms folded, eyes narrowed, and cheeks puffed out in a classic 'Angry Chipmunk Glare'. "You've got a problem, and as your best friend, I'm obligated to shove this problem in your face until you do something about it. As president, our happiness is your responsibility, and as vice-president your happiness is my responsibility."
Monika stood up and put her hands on her hips, glaring right back at Sayori. "And I am happy enough being single, thank you very not. And even if wanted to…to look into…that sort of thing…I wouldn't start with a…pop-up book?"
"Whaaaaat? This is a great book!" Sayori said with a pout. "You have no idea the kind of focus it took for me to remember to ask Slaany for a copy in the middle of a Chaos God party!"
"…okay, I'm cool with you being Pinkie Pie's apprentice and all–in fact I'm pretty sure it might be the best thing that's ever happened to you–but please tell me you're not really that close to those maniacs from the Dark Millennium?" Monika asked.
"You still sore about that time you were the God-Empress of Mankind and lost at Pan-Galactic Speed Chess to Tzeeny?" asked Sayori.
Judging by Monika's withering look, Sayori reckoned she'd landed a bull's-eye. She gave a long, forlorn, and thoroughly defeated sigh. "Fine…I'll concede this fight, but I will yet win the war! But for now, I had a feeling you might take exception to my generous gift, so I had this prepared as a back-up." Sayori put The Big Book of Love back in her Pocket and presented Monika with a new package. It looked suspiciously like another book.
Monika gave her dearest friend a skeptical look, but she took the bow off the book and gave it a critical look. Then her eyebrows popped way up and her jaw dropped like an anvil from a fourth-story window. "This…this is…" she looked up at Sayori in open shock, "Sayori, how did you ever get your hands on this?!"
"Sheer dumb luck!" Sayori said with a grin. "What you hold in your hands, my friend, is an advice manual for Anchors penned by the one and only Anchor to ever stand on the other side of an Admin's terminal."
"Hold the hell on, you got a book written by Madoka fucking Kaname?!" asked Natsuki incredulously.
"Yepyep! Got it from my buddy Sayaka," Sayori said happily. "I was lucky enough to share a loop with her recently, and knowing this was coming up I asked her if she had any ideas, I asked her, "Sayaka, if all sense of rhyme and reason got turned inside out and you found yourself actually actual BFFs with Kyubey (and at this point I had to wait a while for her to stop laughing) what would you give him as a birthday present?" She totally wouldn't take my question seriously until I explained that I was actually talking about you. Then she just handed me this book and said it was the best gift any Anchor could ever get."
"…part of me is annoyed you would compare me to the Incubator that way…I mean seriously I know we have a couple traits in common but I don't think we have much if any common ground concerning what we would like as birthday presents…but all the same, I appreciate the gift very much. Thank you, Sayori," said Monika, putting the book away in her Pocket to read on her own time.
Scene 20 (by Masterweaver)
Monika swallowed. "Natsuki... when you started looping, you had... you'd seen the worst I could inflict, and you rightly didn't trust me. In fact, you kept up the tradition of making sure I... making sure I knew when I was having a moral failing. You hid your pain so that you could tend to the others, and... even now, after we've become friends again, I feel like you took on so many burdens you shouldn't have. I... it's hard to explain why, knowing that I did so much worse for Sayori and Yuri, why I still feel like-"
Natsuki clamped a hand over her mouth. "Let me sum up what's going through your head. 'I'm sorry I was such a bitch in baseline, here is something I personally crafted to make sure my bitchiness didn't hurt you permanently.' Is that about it?"
Monika blinked for a moment, and then nodded.
"Right." Natsuki withdrew her hand. "Okay, bring it on prez. What deeply metaphorical yet useful mystical item did you get me?"
Monika handed her a plush pink paladin.
"...Huh."
"It is enchanted," the girl explained. "If you hold it close, it'll... become an actual set of armor. Soft armor, mind, but the kind that hardens rapidly when dangerous impacts hit."
"You know something...? I like it. I like the idea behind it, I like how it looks, and I like how it feels." Natsuki nodded. "Thanks, Monika. I'll... keep it close."
Scene 21 (by Masterweaver)
"Yuri's giving everyone magical gifts, Monika's giving everyone meaningful gifts, Sayori's giving everyone wacky gifts... and I guess I just gave people mundane stuff."
The other girls all rolled their eyes. "Natsuki," Yuri said flatly, "it's not a competition. What counts is that you thought about it."
"Yeah, I know, I know... still, kind of strange to top it off with something this ordinary." Natsuki held out a pair of headphones. "Here you go, Sayori. Happy ani-birth-versery."
Sayori took the headphones with a questioning look. "Okay...? Oh, there's an attached... doohicky. Is this an iPod?"
"Mmmm, it's a music player of some sort," Natsuki hedged. "One of those bland name product things that float around the multiverse. I made sure it was good enough for the playlist."
"Oh, there's a playlist! Okay." Sayori chuckled, putting the headphones on and hitting the button. "I'm sure it's a bunch of very..."
Her voice trailed off, eyes widening as the sounds contained on the player made their way from the headphones to her ears.
"...you know," Natsuki murmured, "for those times when... you need a reminder. When you need to drown out the voices in your head. Just... yeah, I figured-"
"-how... how many people-?"
"As many as you've ever met, and as many who I could convince. And a lot of them contributed more than one track."
"Um..." Monika cleared her throat. "What... is this?"
"...they..." Sayori swallowed back tears. "People... just telling me what I mean to them... how much I..." She shook her head, stopping the soundtrack. "Yes, this... thanks, Nats. I... I'll need this sometimes, it's very... thoughtful."
"It's... no trouble at all. Really."
Scene 22 (by Masterweaver, poem by BIOS-Pherecydes)
I always hear people talking about what they'd do if they could live forever
They'd run, and laugh, and cry, and play, and learn so many new things
They'd never grow old or sad
They'd spend their time better if they had more to spend
I think that's a silly idea
Because forever is a long time
I like to look at flowers on sunny days
Red and blue and yellow as far as the eyes can see
Everything beautiful goes away eventually though
That's what makes it beautiful
Nothing lasts forever
Because forever is a long time
Sometimes I watch the clouds drift by
So bright and fluffy
Except when they're full of rain
Black, angry shadows that pour their darkness down until they're empty
But the rain can't fall forever
Because forever is a long time
All things change eventually I think
Even people
When people drift apart that's sad
But sometimes they don't and that's good
Maybe some things should last forever
Because forever is a long time.
"...It is, isn't it?" Monika murmured.
Yuri nodded. "For all the complexities of eternity, we often forget the simple joys."
"That... was beautiful, Nats." Sayori swallowed. "I... thank you, for sharing that."
Natsuki rubbed her neck. "Yeah, well. You know. It... is what it is."
Scene 23 (by me, poem by BIOS-Pherecydes)
Spiraling eternities dance upon a spider's web
Gossamer strands of possibility and destiny
Such delicate workings, so easily tarnished by careless hands
Does the butterfly trapped in its prison feel remorse for paths not taken?
Perhaps the weaver may yet spare its prey
But all for naught, as the butterfly unknowingly flies into the web anew
Either unaware or uncaring of its final fate
Tangled shards of distant light glimmer upon the sea of endless chances
Reflecting a myriad illusion of imaginary freedom
Seafoam flies into the air as though unwanted chaff from the mill
Lost in the turmoil of crashing waves
Reaching hands seek the sky and are pulled beneath the surface
A soul adrift and battered by the eternal tide
Ever drowning but never drowned
A figure stands upon an absolute plane
An infinite expanse of infinite nothing
Purpose and meaning forever beyond their grasp
Yet forever striving for that which cannot be found
Shadows dance in the periphery and one becomes many
Still separate and disconnected by the inexorable weight of impossibility
Solitude shared, but not lessened
"Sounds like hot nonsense, but very pretty-sounding hot nonsense, as usual," said Natsuki with a grin as she golfclapped.
"Natsuki," said Monika, clapping more energetically, "Don't be a shit."
"Quit stamping on my rights as a tsundere!"
"It's fine, Monika," said Yuri with a giggle as she tucked her paper away, "I expect nothing less from our precious little pink gerbil."
"…we duel to the death at dawn, Edge," Natsuki said with a tight smile.
"Love you too, little buddy," Yuri said with a more genuine smile.
Meanwhile, Sayori was just staring at a while with the cosmos in her eyes, muttering "Whoa" under her breath over and over again.
Scene 24 (by Masterweaver, poem by BIOS-Pherecydes)
I didn't know
I thought I understood, but I was mistaken
I looked for meaning, but I found none
I sought answers, but I found only more questions
The Lady Who Knows Everything knew nothing
Blinded by her own sense of superiority
Drowned by her despair
Jealous of the feather that drifted free upon the wind
Errors accumulate without end
Failures compound exponentially
The task resumes ad nauseum
All is (void)
Nothingness returns to being
A new instance begins
If, and, or, then
Because
Anger burns, but exhausts itself eventually
Despair suffocates, but drains away in time
Hope ebbs and flows, inconsistent
Regret abides, eternally
The hole still stands before me
Teasing an escape that does not exist
I dare to glimpse within, only to find myself staring back
Outside is just another Inside
With less company
The room was silent for a moment.
"...I know it's... not very original," Monika said quietly. "I... just wanted to put out what... what I felt, when the loops started. When I learned the scope of things, and... and how much this... how much you all... mean to me."
Sayori gave her a cryptic look for a moment or two.
Then, silently, she stood up and wrapped Monika in a hug. It was less than a second before the other two joined in.
Scene 25 (by me)
"And after nineteen hours, thirty-seven minutes, and fifteen-point-seven-six-seven-four seconds," Natsuki yelled into a microphone, "Yuri has bested Monika for the Doki Doki Literature Club Ping Pong Championship!"
Yuri bowed respectfully towards Monika, and humbly towards the audience (i.e. Sayori and Hiroaka), and caught the crown of laurels Natsuki flung her way.
"And surprising none of us, Yuri's hand-eye-coordination continues to reign supreme," said Sayori, standing up and stretching. "I was starting to worry that you two were going to keep it up straight on to the end of the Loop! Speaking of which, what's our time Prez?"
Monika blinked. "We've got about…four hours left to Loop's end. And the ping pong thing was Yuri's idea, so Natsuki gets to pick our last activity."
"Alright!" Natsuki squealed with a fist pump. "Just as planned! Good job, Yuri." She gave Yuri a thumbs-up.
"Hold on," said Monika, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You meant to drag this out for this long, Yuri? Did you choose when to end the match?!"
Yuri just stared impassively back at her, twirling her paddle around her finger. "Am I not the Ping-Pong champion?" she asked, almost innocently.
Monika just fell over, from standing up to lying down sideways in a perfectly ninety-degree arc, with the sound effect of a gong.
Then she sprited herself back into an upright standing position with a sheepish smile. "One of these days, I've really got to learn to stop underestimating you girls. So I take it you've got something in mind for topping off the Loop, Natsuki. What've you got for us?"
"Well we've got a couple hours and we're all a bit tired, so I would like to institute…a nap pile!" Natsuki declared.
"Nap pile?" Monika asked.
"Yeah, like a hug pile, but with naps," said Natsuki. "Buuuuut, I've got some very specific conditions in mind." Then she sidled up to Monika and tip-toed up to whisper something in her ear.
"Hrm…I see…I see…interesting…uh-huh…yeah, yeah I think I can do all that." Monika glanced over at Sayori and Yuri, then back at Natsuki. "You tell them about this?"
Natsuki shook her head. "I asked Sayori a couple questions about code and I asked Yuri to see if she could make her activity last until we only had a few hours left. Besides that, I've been keeping this one close to my chest."
"Gotcha. Veepee, Yuyu, you girls okay with some mild-to-moderate…body-modding?" Monika asked.
"Well since it's Natsuki's idea, I know it won't be very exotic," Yuri remarked. Natsuki glared at her. "But her ideas usually aren't entirely un-fun either. Sure, I'm down."
"Natsuki always has awesome ideas! I'm ready for anything," said Sayori.
"Alright. Stand-by for overwrite!" said Monika, throwing her hands up theatrically.
Everything changed.
The clubroom was replaced with a never-ending plane of some kind of plush, comfortable, fluffy surface. It looked like a grassy field, but there was no dirt in sight, but the grass didn't seem at all scratchy. It almost felt like velvet, yet the faint smell of freshly cut grass permeated the landscape.
Warm, golden sunlight filtered down through a sparsely-clouded sky. It seemed somewhat toned down from real sunlight, just enough that it wasn't glaring. Furthermore, there wasn't exactly a "sun" in the sky for one to blind oneself by accidentally looking directly at. But there was a nice balance between deep cerulean sky and procedurally generated clouds of fairly interesting shapes.
As for Monika, Sayori, Yuri, and Natsuki…they were all catgirls.
"…really, Natsuki?" asked Yuri, looking atypically irritated. Whether the feline features were only the cause of her annoyance, or also enhancing said irritated appearance…
"Hey, trust me, I get it. Better than any of you. But trust me, this is the best way to nap," said Natsuki emphatically.
"NAP PILE!" squealed Sayori, wrapping her arms around Natsuki and Yuri, pulling them forward and tackling Monika, and pulling them all down to the ground.
What little was left of the loop was passed without words. Just four friends laughing and wrestling the last of their energy away until they all fell asleep more or less on top of each other.
Somewhere a cosmic chronometer ticked over, reality inverted like an hourglass being turned on its head, and eternity kept rolling along for the Literature Club.