A/N: In case if no one noticed, there was a reason why Fallout New Vegas was brought up, one of the factions in it has a cipher with their name on it. And there is one.

I stretched as I made my way towards Study Hall, my last period in "school."

So if this is Tommy's most repressed memory, what's there to be repressed? Everything is right so far, nothing out of ordinary. Not only that, it's in a anime world for god sake, there should be fanfiction or something that can provide some closure if something doesn't come up good, right?

I was out of the lunchroom and the commotion of everyone being uppity irritated me some, so I decided wear my headphones while going there. Since me and Tommy talked about New Vegas, I played a song that always reminded me of that game. I was gonna play Blue Moon, by Frank Sinatra, but ultimately deciding against it, as I didn't want anyone to think I was weird to be listening to some old pop song from the 50's. I instead put Dust, by MOON, a song from the Hotline Miami, which calmed me down and readied me for anything that will inevitably go wrong.

After a few flights of stairs, I finally make it to Study Hall. The place looks remarkably similar to a library, but has instruments like the violin, bass, trumpet, and piano. And there were rows and rows of computers, to help aid research. Finally there were troves of books everywhere. It looks to be a sanctuary for a bookworm, students, musicians, or those who wish to be in tranquility.

This is a really chill place. I hope college has this sort thing when I get back...

Hopefully I'll get back and everything will be back to normal again. Me, Gabe, James, and Tommy are gonna stick together for the rest of our lives. We forged our bonds with trust and true friendship. We are gonna support each other during the stressful years of college, and laugh at it all when we make it. This is wishful thinking, but I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring Tommy back from the brink of death, just so we can all just float on. Together.

That end made me smile, a genuine smile that I rarely show to anyone else. A smile that feels that it will all be ok, and good times were just ahead.

I make my spot in an area that was in the midpoint of everything. At this position I can hear and see mostly anything, to the point where I am omniscient. The track I was listening to was at its end so I switched out for another EDM song, I usually listen to other genres of music besides EDM, but this genre is particularly addicting and helps ground me from the "reality" of what Tom assumes it to be.

I put on Falling, by Subtract. The song's beginning is really calm, or chill some enthusiasts would say, eventually rises to a drop which is pretty good in my opinion. The overall song feels as if I was transported to another reality, or "falling" into it, which is pretty fitting to my situation at hand.

After a few seconds of the start, the teacher supervising Study Hall arrived. From the looks of it, he was doing attendance. I gave an exasperated groan and paused the song to hear for my name. The strange thing is that, I am in the roster of the school when I first arrived. It seemed as if I went to this school on a daily basis. I had to say, some smart AI was optimizing it's algorithms so it prevent me from blowing my cover and make breathe easy.

After the teacher called my name, I resumed the song from the start. I knew that music was going get dull after while if I don't do anything. So I decided to occupy myself with the activities available in the Hall. There were computers, but I don't have anything to research or do. Besides, I don't think most of the websites that exist in the real worlds would appear here. Music... Although I have years of experience of being in a choir and a school band, I was pretty sure I was rusty. I decided against it, because I didn't want to make an ass out of myself in front of others. Books it is then, considering that it wasn't filled with... what did they call it?

Man-go? No... Man-ga? I think that's right but I don't know if I pronounced it right, but whatever. I'm not an anime fan.

I stand up with the music pumping it's melodies and notes into my ears, and made my way to the miniature library. I noticed that the placements of genres of books were odd. Biographies were mixed in with musical compositions, comedy was mixed in horror, and mystery was mixed in movie cassettes.

That didn't bother me though, I found myself in the biographies/musical compositions section.

Hmm. The Bessemer Process, the legend of Sir Henry Bessemer. Nah. Pope Alexander VI and The Borgia. I think I got my dose on history on that subject when I played Assassin's Creed 2 and Brotherhood, so I'll pass. The Markov Links? That piques my interests.

I pulled the book out, only for it go deeper from the other side.

Huh?

I yanked out the book and I help yelp from the other side of the bookcase.

Aw shit.

I ran to other side of the library and I saw an student with chestnut hair sitting on the ground, rubbing her forehead, as if she got hit with a stick or something.

I stooped down to see if she was ok. "Hey, are you alright? I-I didn't mean to pull the book!"

She gave a small moan in pain, and opened one eye. For some reason I was mesmerized with her emerald eyes, but shook the feeling down with rationality.

Seriously? How do people have this color of hair AND have green eyes? What the hell?!

"I'm okay. But I can't tell if my forehead is swollen..." She moves her hand away from her forehead.

I take a look shook no. "You're good, don't worry. Look, I'm really sorry for pulling the book away from you. If it makes you feel better, then you can take the book. I'll go lo-."

"No! No! It's fine! I thought I was pulling out the piano practice book I always use."

I narrowed my eyes a bit. "But you do realize this is a biography book, not a workbook, right? I'm pretty sure they have differences in size and content."

"Really? Ahaha! My bad, I wasn't thinking properly, I kind of had a long day today." The woman said with a perfect smile.

There was still something about her mannerisms that felt off but I decided to take her word for it.

I nodded in understanding, and I stood up to leave.

"W-wait!"

I froze in my tracks and turned around. "Hm? Oh right! Sorry." I brought out my hand to pull her up and she grabbed on almost immediately.

"N-no no, its not that." She said as she brushed off any dust from her blazor and skirt.

"I asked for you to wait so probably help me find the practice book... I've looking for a while now, but I still have no clue where it is! Can you please please help? Please?"

Her incessant begging made me roll my eyes in annoyance. "Sure I guess." In response to me saying that she jumped up a bit, giving a small squeal in response, which startled me a little.

Man, girls in this world act overly cutesy and innocent. And people who watch anime find this entertaining? Jesus.

"I don't have much to do, besides read about Markov to pass time. Where do you last remember putting it?"

"Hmm..." She tapped her chin in thought. "I think... I put it somewhere the instruments..."

I put on my most deadpan face ever. You've got to be kidding me. Why would you bother to look here?

Cause I wanted to see you, my darling.

What the fuck? My eyes widened at the voice of that woman's inside my head.

The woman in front of me looked worried at my reaction, as if she didn't do anything and is innocent. "Is everything alright, umm?"

I can't under circumstances blow my cover. Take the chance now.

"Sorry about that! My name is Valkyrie Jones."

"Oh, that's a cute name! My name is Monika!"

I raised an eyebrow at her reaction, this girl was obviously very flirty. "Okaaay... then Monika, shall we find your book?"

"That we shall do." She says with a smile and hands behind her waist. It's as if there was wind blowing through her skirt and trying to reveal her thighs.

This is getting weird real quick.

We started walking towards the instrument area of study hall.

"By the way, Valkyrie, oh! Can I call you Val?"

"Sure. I guess..." I hope to God that I don't have to spend time with her anymore, she has a very strange vibe that I didn't like.

"Okay! So Val, what type of music are listening to? All I hear is notes and no vocals."

Aw crap. This is awkward...

If this was a time where I was supposed to blush in embarrassment, I would fail it every time. But somehow, I feel a rush of blood around my face. Something so foreign was happening to me... it felt as if my face was on fire!

"U-u-uh um..." I stammered pathetically as I paused the song.

She giggled from my reaction and gave me a alluring smile. Something straight out of the Mona Lisa.

I regained my composure immediately, slightly pissed over the fact that I made an ass out of myself in front this beautiful girl.

What. The. Fuck? Where did that come from? Wasn't I creeped out by her?... This is some satanic voodoo shit going on right now.

"I'm listening to a genre called EDM, or Electronic Dance Music. This genre has hundreds of sub-genres making it incredibly diverse, so it can cater to multiple different fans that wish to have an certain emotion evoked from them. EDM songs may or not have vocals, the one I'm listening right now has none."

"Mmm... You seem to be well versed in knowing all this. Do you listen to a lot of EDM?"

"Well I mean, I started getting into EDM a few months ago. As a kid, I used to listen to a lot of dubstep, as I thought I was pretty cool at the time."

"Ahaha. We all had to be on track with the trends to be considered, 'normal'."

"Heh, exactly my thoughts."

We arrived at the instruments area, despite it being a short walk across the library.

"Well let's get looking!"

Before we broke down into a search party for missing composition, I took a closer look at the piano. There was a long and thin workbook open on the stand of piano.

"Wait, is this what you are looking for? It's on the stand of the piano."

"Ah! It was there all along!" She noticed my "seriously?" look.

She closed her eyes and gave a small frown. She let out a sad sigh. I instantly felt bad at the sight of Monika being crestfallen.

"I'm sorry for wasting your precious reading time... I should've checked near the piano before I-"

"Hey! Hey! It's alright! This sort of thing happens to all of us, especially to me. A lot..."

I gave her one my rare genuine smiles and my hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes from the sudden contact and smiled from my warm smile."Look, everyone has a off-day and all. I should be the one apologizing, for being impatient with you."

A small but potent warm feeling comes around my chest. "I'm sorry for being an ass, Monika."

She gave a giggle to my apology. "You are pretty sweet guy aren't you Val?"

I was caught off-guard. "I guess?... Anyway to make it up to you, I'll be here for encouragement for your piano practice."

"B-but I make mistakes. Yes! A lot of mistakes... It would make you cringe and stuff..."

"That's why it's called practice, Monika."

She put a hand on her hip and pointed at me accusingly. "Oh you! Stop being so-"

The school bell rang, 8th period ended.

"Huh. Well would you look at the time!" (its high noon)

"Hey look Monika, I promise to be there for study hall tomorrow, so I can be there for practice. I got to meet up with my friend."

She gave a sly smirk. "Promise you say? Well I'll be thinking of a punishment if you don't show up!"

I gave her a pat on the side of her arm, on which she blushed. "Hah! I can brave through to that. I'll see you tomorrow Monika."

"Okay, bye Val!"

With my genuine smile, I nod and jogged off to meet up with Tommy. The students were all ready to leave the school and take off the stuffy clothing they called uniforms. So I had to understand their brusque behavior.

I pulled out my phone and I got a couple of texts from him about his location in the school.

A minute later I found Tommy's class, I peered in to see if anyone was still in the room.

Nope. Nobody except him, looking like an idiot.

Tommy was looking blankly at the wall, as if he was contemplating something. I decided break him out of his daze... If this was the real Tommy, I would acted more of a douche and annoy him somehow. I considered testing it but I ultimately decided not to.

This isn't the real Tommy and this isn't the real reality.

I gave a small melancholy sigh and cleared my throat.

"Yo Tommy!"

"Huh?" He was somewhat startled.

"C'mon man, let's go. Didn't you say were gonna wait for me outside the classroom?"

"Oh right. I just had a lot on my mind, on clubs and stuff."

"Hm. You mean explaining, I mean you don't have to."

"Nah it's fine. I was thinking of just visiting the club and not joining it, you know get to know them." He looked a bit guilty but in a joking manner. "And to get a cupcake..."

"Okay... but I kind of have a favor to ask you."

"Hit me."

I nervously twiddle my thumbs at what I'm about to say.

"I was thinking that I would join any club with you. Y'know to have a friend to be there with you and stuff. Gosh, it sounds like I'm a parasite or some shit. You know what, forget I said anything."

"Hey Val, its fine, don't worry about it. You seemed pretty lonely at lunch today, you a transfer from a another school?"

I never lie to my friends, lying feels like an act of betrayal and breach of trust. It defeats the purpose of having friends to count on. But I had to.

I'm sorry Tommy. I doing this to save you, and like I said, I'll do whatever it takes to bring you back home to where you belong.

I fake solemnity and said, "Yeah I am."

"No problem, I'll gladly be there with you man. But between you and me, my group of "friends" you saw at lunch are actual assholes. They pick on those who don't believe on what they say."

One true friend is better than 100 fake friends.

"Enough about that dude, let's go that literature club, get that cupcake and decide which club to join."

"Alright bet."

We exit the classroom and we see a red-haired student from down the hall. It's that same woman I saw this morning and at school.

She visibly brightened at the sight of his boyfriend, and started to up her pace.

"Psst dude. Is that your girl?" I whispered.

"What?! No no! She's a really old friend from my childhood. Her name's Sayori."

Tommy in the real world, did mention having a female friend back at his childhood. But that's all he really said, as he changed the topic almost immediately to something else. We all knew that there was something really off about it, and when questioned he would just dodge the question. We assumed that he cut ties with her after a disagreement or something. But I knew something else happened. Whenever he did mention her friend, he reminisced in a bittersweet manner. I can only imagine the pain that he carries with him.

"O."

At this point she is in speaking distance until she closed the distance extraordinarily quickly hugged Tom.

She released him.

"Hey Tommy! You ready to go?" It took her a few seconds to register that I was there with him. "Oh! Hello there! You don't seem to be Tommy's other "friends"."

"You must be Sayori right? Tommy mentioned you, when you lectured him on joining a club."

"Hmm? Oh yeah! Well I had to or else Tommy would be a NEET." She put her hands on her hips. "Seriously Tommy, you aren't going anyway if you all you do is play games and watch anime until you fall asleep."

Tommy sent a playful glare at Sayori. "Hmph. I would stop all that if you stop oversleeping!"

All of Sayori's confidence washed away when he said this. She looked visibly guilty as she tapped her index fingers together.

"Ehhh! You are such a meanie! And- and..." Her attitude drastically changed. "You said all that in front of your friend!" She adopted a really angered expression.

I had to step in here.

"Whoa whoa." I put my hands up in a calming manner. "I'm pretty sure it's all in good fun! People oversleep for many reasons and I sometimes do oversleep a bit. Sleep is a gift that you can't get enough of. Right?

Sayori visibly loosened up, "You owe me a drink Tommy. Now come, I've got to show you the rest of the girls in the literature club!"

She looked at me. "Um... are you going to come uh..."

I keep making an bad habit of not introducing myself properly.

"Sorry about that. My name is Valkyrie. And yes I'm coming with Tommy."

"Oh! It's nice to meet you Valkyrie. But can I call you Val?"

And I'm always treated with that nickname.

"Sure, I don't mind. Lead the way Sayori."

Sayori gleefully skipped and took Tommy's hand with her. I can tell Tommy sold his soul to join or at least visit the club. Not wanting to question it or anything, I fell behind and followed them to the club.

At last we made it to the club. Sayori let go of Tommy's hand to open the door to the club. I can tell Tom was nervous about this, after all Sayori did say "the rest of the girls."

"Hey." I nudged at him. "Don't worry, we are only here to visit right?"

He gulped and nodded, he flushed his nervousness down. "Yeah."

Sayori opened the door and we were greeted the sweet aroma of baked cupcakes.

That smells really, really good.

"Here we are!" Sayori joyfully bounced.

"Ah. Welcome to the literature club. Sayori said she was going to bring a new member but not two..." The purple haired student said.

"Gah! Sayori you brought not only one but two boys?! Way to kill the atmosphere." The pink haired student complained as she glared at us.

I was at the loss of words.

More ridiculous hair colors and eyes? How do people even get these colors and eyes? There's no way any gene could produce those colors! What the hell?!

I shook my head to clear those thoughts and focus at what's happening at hand.

"N-Natsuki, don't say that! That's really impolite!" The purple haired student started.

"Yeah but we kind of had a thing going, Yuri." The pink haired student replied.

I didn't take hostility kindly. I glared back at Natsuki. And in return she glared back at me only.

"Val? Is that you?" A familiar voice asked.

It was Monika. She smilied brightly at me as she walked up to me with her hands behind her back.

"Oh. Hey there Monika, how's it going?" I said as I flashed my smile at her.

Why am I doing this?

In an instant, she hugged me.

What the?

I could feel her chest push against mine, all the warmth being distributed to my chest. In confusion, I meekly hugged back.

Hoo boy, this is not good. I need to avoid her.

I pulled back and I felt her reluctance to do so...

Don't leave me.

The fuck? What was that voice? And why does that happen when I'm around her?

She finally pulled back, giving more incentive to avoid her.

"It's good to see you again Val."

"Likewise." Not really. I kind of regret making that promise to her.

She steered her eyes away from me. "Hello, Thomas. It's been a while."

I got the feeling they were distant friends from a while ago.

"You guys know each other?" I asked.

"Yeah. We were in the same class last year. She was a member of the prestigious debate club." Tommy replied.

"Ah. I see."

Sayori jumped in, "Anyway! It's time that introduce you all to my friends!"

Aw crap. I'm going to be in a ride of a life time now.